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v      - 


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9  t 


MANUAL 


OF 


PSYCHOMETRY 

THE  DAWN  OF  A  NEW  CIVILIZATION. 

[FOURTH  EDITION.] 


BY   JOSEPH   KODES   BUCHANAN,   M.   D., 

Author  of  "Anthropology,"  "Therapeutic  Sarcognomy"  and  "Moral  Edu- 
cation " — Professor  of  Physiology  and  Institutes  of  Medicine  in  four 
Medical  Colleges  successively,  from  1845  to  1881 — and  for  five  years 
Dean  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  the  parent  school  of 
American  Medical  Electicism — Discoverer  of  the  impres- 
sibility of  the  brain — of  Psychometry  and  of  Sarcognomy. 


Published  by  the  Author — Los  Angeles,  Cal. 

[COPYRIGHT,  1885.— RY  JOfEi-n  UODES  BUCHANAN.] 


BOSTON  : 

tfKANK  H.  HODGES, 
1893. 


CONTENTS. 

Frontispiece  — Engraving—  Portrait  of  Mrs.  Buchanan. 

PREFACE. 
PART  I. —  INTRODUCTORY  AND  HISTORICAL. 

PAGE 

Introduction      ...--.-_---         1-H 

CHAPTER  I. 

Original  Sketch  of  Psychometry     -       -       -  -       -       -       12-67 

CHAPTER  II. 

Original  Sketch  —  continued 67-124 

CHAPTER  III. 
Later  Developments        ---------    125-175 

CHAPTER  IV. 

The  Physic  Faculties— their  location  and  accidental  manifestation,  176-212 

PART  II. —  PRACTICAL  UTILITIES. 

CHAPTER  V. 

Psychometry  in  Self  Culture,  Conjugal  Relations  and  Business  -         1-40 
CHAPTER  VI. 

Psychometry  in  Medical  Science  and  Choice  of  Physicians        -       41-86 

CHAPTER  VII. 
Psychometry  in  Politics 87-118 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Psychometry  in  Literature 119-141 

CHAPTER  IX. 

Prophetic  Intuition  -  142-194 

PART  III. —  THE  NEW  PHILOSOPHY  AND  RELIGION. 

CHAPTER  X. 
Psychometry  and  Anthropology  ______         1-31 

CHAPTER  XI. 

Future  Life  and  Leaders  in  Religion  _____        32-74 

APPENDIX. 

Prophecy  of  Cazotte—  Frequency  of  Prevision  —  Destiny  of  the 

Young 75-90 


333552 


INDEX. 


Portrait. 


2.  Title  Page. 
6.  Introduction. 


3.  Dedication.  4.  Contents.  5.  Preface. 

7.  Eleven  Chapters.  8.  Appendix. 


Antiquity  explored,  i.  72,  73,  74,  75,  76 

Adams  described,  i.  93,  94 

Antagonism  to  psychometry  —  its  cause,  i, 

166 
Archbishop  of  Bourdeaux,  his  narrative  of 

clairvoyance,  i.  197,  198 
Arabi  Pasha  described,  ii.  157,  158, 159,  160 
Alexander  of  Russia  described,  ii.  180 
Anthropology  and  its  departments,  Hi.  3,  4 
Autographs  of  the  deceased — their  peculiar 

influence,  Hi.  40 
Albigenses,  Hi.  68 
Arnaud,  Henri,  the  Christian  hero,  Hi.  70,71 

Booth  described,  i.  no 
Bulwer  described,  i.  116,  117 
Bristol,  Augusta  Cooper — poem,  i.  125,  126 
Back  of  manuscript  a  basis  for  psychom- 
etry, i.  154 
Bible ,  its  value  determined  by  psychometry 

i.  158 

Beach,  Professor,  described,  ii.  81 
Bonaparte,  described,  ii.  101, 102,  103 — Jo- 
sephine, ii.  103,  104 
Bismark  described,  ii.  105,  106,  107 
Bacon,  Lord,  described,  ii.  120,  121,  122 
Buddha  described,  Hi.    53,  54,  55 

Crime  held  in  check  by  psychometry,  i.  80, 

81,82 

Criticism  by  psychometry,  i.  87,  88 
Children  investigated  by  psychometry,  i.  90 
Clay  described,  i.  94,  95,  96,  97,  98,  99,  100 
Channing  described,  i.  105,  106 
Child.     Lydia  Maria,  described  by  Bishop 

Otey,  i.  1 10 

Caldwell  described,  i.  121 
Cardela,  Angelo,  described,  i.  145,  146,  147 
Carlyle  described  from  autographic  emana- 
tion, i.  148, 149;  his  moral  defects,  ii.  7 
Catalysis,  an  explanation,  i.  150,  151,  152 
Cabanis,  his  liberal  views,  i.  164 
College  professors,  their  inconsistency,!.  165 
Colquhoun's  testimony,  i.  195,  196-208 
Clairvoyants,  the  rope  maker,  girl  of  thir- 
teen at  Hamburgh;  servant  girl,  report- 
ed by  Dr.  Dyce.i.  199,  5oo;  Abercrom- 
bie's  narrative,  i.  202,  203,  204,  205 
Chapters,  I.,  i.  12-67;  II. ,i.  68- 124;  III., 
i.  125-175  ;  IV.,  i.  176-212  ;  V.,  ii.  1-39 '. 


VI.,  ii.  40-86;  VII.,  ii,  87-118:  VIII., 
ii.  119-141  ;  IX.,  ii.  142-  194;  X.,iii.  i- 
31;  XI.,  iii.  32-74;  Appendix,  75-90 
Conjugal  unhappiness  from  lack  of  psy- 
chometry, ii.  16,  17,  18 
Criminals  investigated  by  psychometry,  ii. 

37-38 

Counterfeits  detected  by  psychometry,  ii.  39 
Contagion,  its  philosophy ,  ii. 64,65,66, 67, 68 
Choice  of  physicians,  ii.  74,  75 
Cooper,  Sir  Astley,  his  barbarous  practice, 

ii.  76 

Cooke,  Professor,  described,  ii.  77,  78 
Caldwell,  Professor,  described,  ii.  82,  83 
Compte  described,  ii.  127,  128,  129 
Cicero  recognizing  prophesy,  ii.  149 
Chamberlain  described,  ii.  190,  191,  192 
Cerebral  psychology,  iii.  28 
Church  and  college,  their  dormant  state,  iii. 

34 

Confucius  described,  iii.  58,  59,  60,  61 
Calvin  described,  iii.  61,  62 
Christianity,  what  is,  iii.  66,  67 
Crimes  in  the  name  of  religion,  iii.  72,  73 
Cazotte,  his  famous  prophesy,  appendix  75- 

9° 

Children  described  by  psychometry ,  appen- 
dix, 88,  89,  90 

Denton's  Soul  of  Things,  i.  9  ;  iii.  28 
Demonstration  by  psychometry,  i.  114,  115,' 

116 

Decker,  psychometric  talents,  and  remark- 
able experience  of  Mrs.  C.  H.,i.  132, 
.133.  '34,  '4;.  '42 
Divine  element  in  man,  i.  159,  160 
Darkness  of  materialism,  i.  186 
Devaud,  a  natural  clairvoyant,  i    198 
D'Israeli  described,  ii.  112,  113,  114 
Death  of  Alexander,  D'Israeli,  and  C..ui- 
baldi  predicted,  ii.  179;   Deaths -predic- 
ted by  Cazotte,  iii.  appendix 
Democratic  Review  on  Dr.  Buchanan's  dis- 
coveries, iii.  5-25 
Destiny  of  the  young,  appendix  8S,  s  ,,  ;,<> 

Electricity  transmits  medical  influence,  i.  20 
Experiments,  i.  30,  31,  32,  33  ;  experiments 
with  autograph,  i.   37,  38,  39;  experi- 
ments before  Women's  Club,  i.  129,  130 


Index. 


Emanation  from  autographs,  experiment 
with  Carlyle's,  i.  148,  149,  150 

Ecstacy  in  somnambulism,  i.  187 

Epigastric  region,  i.  194 

Emanation,  saubarate  and  other,  ii.  52,  53, 
54  55 

Electric  currents,  theory  of  Sir  James  Mur- 
ray, ii.  55 

El  Mahdi  described,  ii.  161,  162,  163,  164- 
169,  170,  171,  172,  175 

Fulton,  Robert,  described,  i.  in,  112,  113 

Financial  importance  of  psychometry ,  i  1 57 

Founders  of  religions,  i.  158 

Future  of  America  indicated  by  periodicity, 
ii.  155,  156 

France  and  China,  their  action  predicted, 
ii.  189 

Future  of  anthropology,  a  grand  view,  iii. 
21-25 

Foramen  caecum  (blind  hole)  of  material- 
ism, iii.  26 

Future  life  and  leaders  in  religion,  iii.  32  -  74 

Franklin  on  immortality,  iii.  32 

Gray,  sympathetic  impression  of  Dr.  Gray, 
i.  140,  141 

George  Eliot,  her  inspiration,  i.  212 

Gallian  system  of  phrenology,  its  errors,  ii. 
9,  10,  ii 

Goethe  on  the  psychometric  faculty,  ii.  19 

Gross,  advice  of  Professor,  as  to  new  dis- 
coveries, ii.  41  ;  his  description,  ii.  80 

Galvanism  transferring  medical  influence,ii. 
57)  58)  59 

Gladstone  described,  ii.  107,108, 109,110,111 

Grant  described,  ii.  97,  116,  117,  118 

Gall,  Dr.,  described,  ii.  120 

Gregory,  Professor,  on  Gazette's  prophecy, 
appendix  86 

Harvey,  Dr.,  described,  i.  107 
Hayden,  psychometric  talents  of  Mrs. ,  i.  13 1 
Homoeopathy  and  Allopathy,  question  set- 
tled by  psychometry,  ii.  46,  47,  48,  49 
Hill,  Professor,  described,  ii.  79 
Hahnemann  described,  ii.  84 
Hippocrates  described,  ii.  85,  86 
Humboldt, Baron, described,ii.  123, 124, 125 
Homer  described,  ii.  138,  139,  140 
Hugo,  Victor,  described,  ii.  140,  141 
Hemans,  Mrs.,  iii.  33,  47,  48 

Introduction,  i.  i,  n 

Imaginative  illustration,  i.  68,  69,  70,  71 

Inman,  psychometric  power  of  Charles,  i. 

128,  129 

India,  telepathic  sympathies  in,  138, 139, 140 
"Irradiation  of  Omniscience,"  i.  156 
Intuition,  the  essential  of  psychometry,  i. 
159;  its  cerebral  location,  i.  178;  inac- 
tive life,  210 

Impressibility  of  the  brain,  discovered  in 
1841;  iii.  2;  discovery  announced  at 
Little  Rock,  April,  1841,  iii.  6;  impor- 
tance of  the  discovery,  iii.  8 ;  number  of 
the  cerebral  organs,  iii,  9 


Immortality  demonstrated,  iii.  36,  37,  38 

Jackson,  autograph  of  General, described,  i. 
42,  46,  47;  described  by  General  Quit- 
man,  Bishop  Otey,  and  Mrs.  Buchanan, 
iii.  41,  42,  43 

Judicial  psychometry  and  detection  of  crime 
i-  77,  78,  79,  80 

Kent,  experiments  with  the  Rev.  Benjamin, 
i.  41-49.  65)  94 

Key  to  universal  knowledge,  i.  166 

Kentucky  State  Medical  Society,  their  in- 
difference and  neglect,  ii.  43 

Keshub  Chunder  Sen,  described,  iii.  56 

Lafayette,  description  of  General,  i.  61,  62, 

63 
Locality  of  the  psychic  powers  in  man,  i. 

192-212 
Law  inadequate  without  psychometry,  ii. 

Local  and'pestilential  influences,  ii.  60,  61, 
62 

"Loftier  Knowledge"  through  psychom- 
etry. ii.  64 

Life  in  the  spirit  world,  iii.  43,  44 

Life  or  death,  its  determination  by  psy- 
chometry, iii.  45,  46 

Laou-tsze  described,  iii.  57,  58 

Luther  described,  iii.  64,  65,  66 

Medical  experiments,  i.  20,  21,22 
Martineau,  description  of  Harriet,  i.  67 
Madame  de  Stael  described,  i.  108,  109 
Mineral  strata,  accessible  to  psychometry,  i. 

156 

Modern  materialism,  i.  162 
Moral  criticism,  ii.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7 
Married  parties  described  by  psychometry, 

11.20-32;  Carlyle,  Bulwerand  Byron, 

ii.  24-32 

Mineral  waters  and  air,  ii.  54,  55 
Mountain  influence  favorable,  ii.  64 
Milton  described,  ii.  135,  136 
Mahomet  described,  ii.  177,  178,  179 
Moral  education  ;  the  application  of  cerebral 

psychology,  iii.  28 

New  York,  first  experiments  there,  i.  12,  26 
Nervous  system,  its  powers,  i.  16 
Nominal  psychometry,  experiment  on  the 

name  of  Angelo  Cardela,  i.  145,  146 
Neglect  of  scientific  investigations,  i.  167 
National  Medical  Association,  ii.  44 
New  philosophy  and  religion,  iii.  1-74 
Neurology  in  New  York,  iii.  5-25;  report 

of  New  York  committee,  iii.  13,  14,  15; 

letter  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  iii.  16-21 

Original  sketch  of  psychometry,  i.  12-124 
Otey,  experiment  with  Bishop,  i.  39 
Orators  described — Clay,  Rowan,  Prentiss, 

Randolph^ Daviess,  McDuffie,  i.  123, 

124 
Objective  and  subjective  ;  their  philosophy, 

i.  206 


Index. 


Pierpont,  his  poem,  i.  1,3 
PSYCHOMETRY,  an  established  science  and 
useful  profession,  i.  7,  8,  the  exercise 
of  divine  faculties  and  explanation  of 
mysteries,!.  10;  hostility  toils  reception, 
i.  127;  our  mentor ;  ii.  2,  3  :  its  portrait- 
ure, ii.  13,  14;   its  departments,  ii.  18; 
in  conjugal  relations,  ii.  15-32;  in  law 
and  business,  ii.  33-39;  in  medical  sci- 
ence, ii.  40-86;    the  basis  of  diagnosis 
and  prescription,  ii.  69,  70;  in  politics, 
11.87-  118;  in  literature,  ii.  119-141 ;  re- 
lieves us  from  traditions,  dogmas,  and 
other  rubbish,  iii.  35,  36;  demonstrates 
immortality,  iii.  36,  37,  38,39 
Polk,  marvellous  sensibility  of  Bishop,  i.  17 
Psychic  attraction,  i.  30 
Psychological  chemistry,  i.  33,  34,  35 
Psychometric  bias,  i.  50,  51,  52,  64,  83  (ob- 
session, 86) 
Physical  and  pathological  sympathy,  i.  54, 

55,  56 

Psychometric  impartiality,  i.  86 
Poems:  by  Augusta  Cooper  Bristol,  i.  125, 
126;  marvels  of  psycnometry  i.  177 ;  by 
Father  Ryan.ii.  6;  addressed  to  Cor- 
nelia, ii.  193;  by  Mrs.  Hyzer  on  psy- 
chometry, iii.  73,  74 
Personal  experience  and  sympathies,  i.  133, 

i34,  135,  136,  143,  M4,  MS 
Photographs,  engravings,  and  names  for 
psychometry,  i.  144,  145,  146,  152,  i53 
Philosophy  to  be  established  by  psychom- 
etry, i.  159 

Pansian  psychometer,  i.  211 
Phrenology,cranioscopyandcrania,ii.i2,i3 
Psychometric  arbitration,  ii.  35 
Physical  character  of  all  tolerated  science, 

ii.  42 

Presidential  candidates,  ii.  88  ;  St.  John,  ii. 
89,  90;  General  Butler,  ii.  91,  92;  Mr. 
Elaine,  ii.  92, 93;  Cleveland,  ii.  94,  95, 
96;  General  Grant,  ii.  97,  98;  Samuel 
J.  Tilden,  ii.  98, 99,  100 
Prophetic  intuition,  ii.  142^194 
Prophecya  religious  endowment  recognized 
by  St.  Paul,  ii.  146;  recognized  by  the 
ancients,ii.  146, 147, 148, 149;  displayed 
by  somnambulists,  ii.  150,  151 ; 
nized  by  the  Royal  Academy  of  Mi 
cine  at  Paris,  ii.  152;  recognized  by 
Goethe,  Schelling,  and  Swedenborg,ii. 
I52,  153;  in  public  affairs,  ii.  156,  194  ; 
Psychometry  the  divine  judgment,  iii. 
73>  74 »  prophecy  of  Gazette,  appendix 
iii.  75,  90 

Periodicity,  its  law  discovered,  ii.  155 
Prescriptions  by  the  departed,  iii.  39 
Prevision,  its  frequency,  Dawbarn  and  Da- 
mon, appendix  85,  86,  87 

Rowan,  Judge,  described,  i.  101 
Rohner,  Dr. ,  of  Tungamah,  described,  his 
views  of  intuition,  i.  172,  173,  174,  175 


Rider,  Jane,  her  remarkable  powers,  i.  181, 

182,  183,  184,  185 
Russia  and  England,  psychometric  view,  ii. 

181,  182,  183,  184,  185,  186,  187,  188 

Sympathetic  diagnosis,  i.  24,  25 

Scott,  experiments  of  Chancellor,  i.  59-64 

Spurzheim  described,  i.  120 

Sealed  letter  described,  i.  155,  156 

Systems  of  religion  judged  by  psychometry, 

i.  158 

St.  Ambrose,  his  clairvoyance,  i.  164 
Sensibility  and  clairvoyance,  i.  179,  180 
Sir  Thomas  Browne  on  the  soul,  i.  208 
Spiritual  guardianship,  ii.  7,  8 
Self-knowledge  needed,  ii.  18 
Stolidity  in  the  medical  profession,  ii.  41 
Sensibility  the  foundation  of  disease,  lack- 
ing in  fishes,  ii.  53 
Swan's  Dr.,  psychometric  perceptionii.  71, 

72,  73 

Spencer,  Herbet,  described,  ii.  129, 130, 131 
Shakespeare  described,  ii.  133,  134,  135 
Sir  Walter  Scott  described, ii.  136, 137,  138 
Sister  Genevieye,  her  prophecy,  ii.  154 
Sarcognomy,  iii.  29,  30,  31 
Servetus,  the  martyr,  described,  iii.  63,  64 
Swedenborg  described,  iii.  48-53 

Taste  through  the  fingers,  i.  18 

Transmitted  influence,  i.  25 

Three  autographs  described,  Spurzheim, 

Caldwell,  Buchanan,!.  118-122 
Telepathic  sympathies,  i.  137,  138,  139,  140 
Touch  important  for  psychometry,  i.  154 
Transcendentalism  the  minimum  and  pessi- 

mum,  i.  160 
Temples,  connected  with  clairvoyance  and 

psycnometry,  i.  181 
Transference  of  aura  from  writing,  ii.  50,  51, 

52 
Transference  of  disease,  experiments  of 

Smith,  ii.  56 
Tyndall,  Huxley  and  Mill  described,  ii.  13 1, 

132 

Therapeutic  Sarcognomy,  iii.  30 
Utility  of  psychometry,  i.  57,  58 
Unconscious  Sympathy,  i.  84 
U.  S.  Dispensatory,  a  singular  admission, ii. 
45,  46 

Virgil  on  the  spirit,  i.  187 

Vulgar  errands  refuted,  connecting  psycho- 
metry with  mesmerism,  spiritualism, 
and  mind  reading,  i.  188,  189,  190,  191 

Washington  described,  i.  103,  104 
Wordsworth 'on  clear  seeing,  i.  162 
War  in  Egypt,  ii.  165,  166,  167,  168,  169 
Waldenses,  iii.  68,  69,  70 

Zchokke,  his  wonderful  psychometric  pow- 
ers, i.  168,  169,  170 


PREFACE. 


This  volume  has  been  somewhat  hastily  prepared,  to  ful- 
fil the  promise  recently  made  to  the  public  of  a  MANUAL  OF 
PSYCHOMETRY  —  a  work  to  introduce  the  subject  to  the 
general  reader  —  not  an  elaborate  memoir  for  scientists, 
which  need  not  be  offered  until  it  is  called  for. 

Public  opinion  on  philosophic  subjects  is  always  shallow, 
superficial,  and  erroneous,  until  the  thought  of  the  best 
thinkers  has  enlisted  the  co-operation  of  leading  minds. 
In  reference  to  Psychometry,  the  profound  productions  of 
Prof.  Denton  have  attracted  far  less  attention  than  that  sim- 
ple exhibition  of  Psychometry  which  is  called  "  Mind  Read- 
ing," which  I  have  never  thought  worthy  of  any  special  cul- 
tivation, but  which,  as  an  exhibition,  answers  the  purpose 
of  challenging  skepticism,  and  giving  to  those  who  are  pro- 
foundly ignorant  on  this  subject,  facts  which  compel  their 
reluctant  attention,  and  thus  prepare  them  for  scientific  in- 
novation. 

When  a  full  exposition  shall  be  required,  many  volumes 
will  be  necessary  —  one  for  the  medical  profession,  one  for 
hygienists,  one  for  geologists,  one  for  astronomers,  one  for 
ethnologists,  one  for  physiologists,  one  for  historians,  one 
for  pneumatologists,  one  for  the  devotees  of  religion  and 
duty,  and  ten  for  the  students  of  Anthropology  —  for  all 
these  subjects  are  illuminated  and  developed  by  Psychom- 
etry. 

I  cannot  now  promise  that  much  of  this  will  ever  be  writ- 
ten by  myself — as  it  might  have  been  ere  this  —  for  my 
life  is  too  far  advanced,  and  co-operation  does  not  yet  ap- 
pear. But  as  Psychometry  develops  all  these  departments 
of  knowledge,  these  works  must  all  be  written. 

As  this  volume  contains  the  reports  of  many  psychome- 
tric experiments  with  Mrs.  B.,  I  would  state  in  advance 
that  all  such  experiments  which  I  report  are  as  pure  and 
true  an  illustration  of  Psychometry  as  possible — an  accu- 
rate report  of  mental  impressions  as  they  arose,  recorded  as 


Preface. 

they  were  spoken  deliberately.  The  mind  of  the  psychom- 
eter  in  my  experiments  is  always  carefully  guarded  from  all 
impressions  but  those  which  come  from  an  invisible  source 
by  contact,  without  knowing  what  is  the  object  or  person  to 
be  described,  which  must  be  carefully  concealed  to  insure 
the  purity  of  the  result.  Questions  are  never  of  a  leading 
character,  being  only  used  to  direct  attention  to  the  matters 
that  need  description.  The  reports  are  as  careful  and  faith- 
ful as  I  could  possibly  make  them,  but  most  of  them  are 
imperfect  illustrations  of  her  psychometric  intuition,  given 
often  when  fatigued  by  her  daily  duties. 

The  present  volume  is  larger  than  I  designed,  but  a  great 
deal  of  interesting  and  important  matter  has  been  excluded 
to  keep  it  within  the  proposed  limits.  The  investigations 
of  geology,  paleontology  and  astronomy,  have  been  omitted. 
A  second  volume  will  be  necessary  to  do  justice  to  the  in- 
troduction of  Psychometry  —  the  introduction,  merely,  for  I 
have  but  lifted  a  corner  of  the  veil  that  hides  incalculable 
wealth  of  knowledge  and  wisdom. 

BOSTON,  JUNE  i,  1885. 

P.  S.  A  special  volume,  devoted  to  Pneumatology  and 
Religion  will  be  required  to  illustrate  the  comparative  views 
of  the  world's  religions,  and  the  view  of  Biblical  history  and 
religion  sanctioned  by  Psychometric  exploration  —  a  view 
which  may  dissipate  much  superstition,  but  will  strengthen 
our  faith  in  the  past,  while  it  refines  and  invigorates  our 
religious  nature. 


INTRODUCTION. 


PSYCHOMETRY    FROM     1842    TO   1885. 

The  question,  "  WHAT  is  PSYCHOMETRY  ? "  was 
happily  answered  in  a  poem  from  the  pen  of  the 
celebrated  philanthropist  and  poet,  the  Rev.  JOHN 
PIERPONT,  which  was  delivered  in  August,  1850,  at 
the  grand  anniversary  of  Yale  College,  and  spoken 
of  in  the  Tribune  as  the  "Gem  of  the  occasion." 
J.  M.  S.,  a  correspondent  of  the  Cleveland  Plain 
Dealer,  speaks  of  the  occasion  and  poem  as  follows : 

"  The  occasion  was  the  meeting  of  the  Alumni  of  Old  Yale  —  celebra- 
ting her  one  hundred  and  fiftieth  anniversary.  By  invitation  from  the 
officers  of  the  institution,  he  delivered  a  poem  — the  suhject  was  Pro- 
gress. After  alluding  to  the  various  improvements  of  the  day,  light  by 
gas,  printing,  phonography,  new  modes  of  travel,  telegraphs,  daguerreo- 
typing,  etc.,  he  touched  upon  this  interesting  subject  —  alike  unknown  to 
the  great  and  learned  ones  of  Old  Yale  (in  sorrow  I  say  it),  as  to  your 
honorable  self.  There  were  songs  sung,  and  speeches  made  by  various 
distinguished  individuals,  during  a  sitting  of  not  less  than  eight  hours. 
There  were  present  from  twelve  to  fifteen  hundred  Alumni  —  representa- 
tives from  classes  which  graduated  in  1777  to  the  year  1850." 

EXTRACT    FROM    PIERPONT's    POEM. 

"  But  much,  Daguerre,  as  has  thy  genius  done 
In  educating  thus  Latona's  son, 
In  thus  educing,  in  the  god  of  light 
The  power  to  paint  so,  at  a  single  sight, 
BUCHANAN  has  transcended  thee,  as  far 

I 


2      -  Introduction. 

As  the  sun's  face  outshines  the  polar  star. 
Thine  art  can  catch  and  keep  what  meets  the  eye 
His  science,  subjects  that  far  deeper  lie. 

Thy  skill  shows  up  the  face,  the  outward  whole 

His  science  measures  and  reveals  the  soul. 

Thy  subjects  must  be  present  —  his  may  be 

Sunk  in  the  depths  of  the  mysterious  sea ; 

Their  bodies  may  have  mouldered  into  dust, 

Their  spirits  long  have  mingled  with  the  just, 

Made  perfect :     Yet  if  one  has  left  behind 

A  written  page,  whereon  the  living  mind 

Has  been  pour'd  out,  through  pencil,  paint  or  pen, 

That  written  page  shall. summon  back  again 

The  writer's  spirit ;  pressed  upon  the  brow, 

Or  by  the  hand  of  many,  living  now  : 

It  shall  the  writer's  character  disclose, 

His  powers,  his  weaknesses,  his  joys,  his  woes, 

The  manly  air,  the  sycophantic  smile, 

The  patriot's  valor,  and  the  traitor's  wile, 

The  fire  that  glowed  beneath  the  snows  of  age 

As  in  the  "  Hero  of  the  Hermitage," 

When  he  exclaimed  (methinks  I  hear  him  still), 

"  By  the  Eternal,  I  will  not,  or  will ! " 

All  is  revealed  !     The  prompting  spirit  threw 

Itself  upon  the  paper  —  and  the  few 

"Spirits  that  are  finely  touched  to  issues  fine" 

Will  move  the  hand,  thus  touch'd,  along  the  line, 

And  catch  the  soul  that  issues  from  it  yet, 

(As  fishes  taken  in  an  evil  net), 

And  the  detecting  spirit  shall  declare 

"The  form  and  pressure"  of  the  soul  that's  there, 

With  greater  truth  than  e'er  a  Sybil  sung. 


T 
u 


Introduction.  3 

And  with  as  great  as  fell  from  prophet's  tongue ! 
Mysterious  science !  that  has  now  displayed 
"How  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made" 
Is  man,  that  even  his  touch  can  catch  the  mind, 
That  long  has  left  material  things  behind  ! 
Fearful  the  thought,  that  when  my  clay  is  cold, 
And  the  next  Jubilee  has  o'er  it  rolled, 
he  very  page,  that  I  am  tracing  now, 
With  tardy  fingers  and  a  care-worn  brow, 
To  other  brows  by  other  fingers  prest, 
Shall  tell  the  world,  not  what  I  had  been  deem'd, 
Nor  what  I  passed  for,  nor  what  I  had  seem'd, 
But  when  I  was  !     Believe  it,  friends,  or  not, 
To  this  high  point  of  progress  have  we  got, 
We  stamp  ourselves  on  every  page  we  write ! 
Send  you  a  note  to  China  or  the  pole  — 
Where'er  the  wind  blows,  or  the  waters  roll  — 
That  note  conveys  the  measure  of  your  soul !  " 

The  word  Psychometry,  coined  in  1842  to  express 
the  character  of  a  new  science  and  art,  is  the  most 
pregnant  and  important  word  that  has  been  added  to 
the  English  language. 

Coined  from  the  Greek  (psyche,  soul  and  metron, 
measure)  it  literally  signifies  soul-measuring,  being 
analogous  to  the  words,  thermometry,  barometry, 
electrometry,  and  similar  terms,  which  signify  spec- 
ial measurements.  The  thermometer  measures  caloric 
(thermo,  temperature).  The  barometer  measures 
the  weight  (baro,  weight)  of  the  atmosphere;  the 
electrometer  measures  electric  conditions ;  the  psy- 
chometer  measures  the  soul  (psyche). 


4  Introduction. 

In  the  case  of  Psychometry,  however,  the  measur- 
ing assumes  a  new  character,  as  the  object  measured 
and  the  measuring  instrument  are  the  same  psychic 
element,  and  its  measuring  power  is  not  limited  to  the 
psychic  as  it  was  developed  in  the  first  experiments, 
but  has  appeared  by  successive  investigations  to 
manifest  a  wider  and  wider  area  of  power,  until  it 
became  apparent  that  this  psychic  capacity  was 
really  the  measure  of  all  things  in  the  Universe^. 
Hence,  Psychometry  signifies  not  merely  the  measur- 
ing of  souls  and  soul  capacities,  or  qualities  by  our 
own  psychic  capacities,  but  the  measurement  and 
judgment  of  all  things  conceivable  by  the  human 
mind ;  and  Psychometry  means  practically  measur- 
ing by  the  soul,  or  grasping  and  estimating  all 
things  which  are  within  the  range  of  human  intelli- 
gence. Psychometry,  therefore,  is  not  merely  an 
instrumentality  for  measuring  soul  powers,  but  a 
comprehensive  agency  like  mathematics  for  the  evolu- 
tion of  many  departments  of  science. 

As  a  science  and  philosophy,  Psychometry  shows 
the  nature,  the  scope,  and  the  modus  operandi  of 
those  divine  powers  in  man,  and  the  anatomical 
mechanism  through  which  •  they  are  manifested ; 
while  as  an  art  it  shows  the  method  of  utilizing  these 
psychic  faculties  in  the  investigation  of  character, 
disease,  physiology,  biography,  history,  paleontol- 
ogy, philosophy,  anthropology,  medicine,  geology, 
astronomy,  theology  and  supernal  life  and  destiny. 
Granting,  as  this  volume  will  show,  that  Psychometry 
gives  us  the  command  of  all  these  sciences,  it  is 
apparent  that  the  introduction  of  Psychometry  must 


Introduction.  5 

prove  the  dawn  of  a  new  era  in  science,  philosophy 
and  social  progress,  more  important  as  to  human  en- 
lightenment and  elevation  than  all  the  arts  and 
sciences  heretofore  known  to  the  skilful  and  learned ; 
for  if  all  libraries,  manufactories,  and  repositories  of 
the  arts  in  the  world  at  present  were  suddenly  des- 
troyed by  fire,  leaving  only  in  human  minds  a  full 
knowledge  of  Psychometry,  all  might  be  restored  in 
one  generation,  and  far  nobler  institutions  of  learning, 
of  practical  art,  of  social  order  and  of  religion  would 
arise  from  the  ashes,  purified  and  relieved  from  a 
vast  amount  of  falsehood  —  an  inheritance  from  ancient 
ignorance. 

I  am  perfectly  aware  that  such  assertions  may 
appear  extravagant,  even  to  those  who  have  some 
knowledge  of  the  ordinary  applications  and  powers  of 
Psychometry,  and  will  appear  to  •  many  of  the 
educated,  or  rather  miseducated  classes  as  insane  as 
once  did  the  doctrine  of  the  rotundity  of  the  earth  and 
the  existence  of  men  at  the  antipodes  with  heads 
hanging  downwards  from  us  ;  and  according  to  the 
usual  policy  of  those  who  seek  popularity  and  repu- 
tation, such  assertions  should  be  reserved  for  the  end 
of  the  volume,  to  be  read  only  after  the  scientific 
methods  and  practical  success  of  Psychometry  have 
been  made  familiar.  I  prefer,  however,  to  state 
at  once  frankly  the  true  scope  and  power  of  Psy- 
chometry, and  if  any  reader  be  repelled  by  my 
frankness  it  is  well  that  he  should  be  repelled,  for  he 
who  cannot  tolerate  a  novelty  in  science  cannot  do  it 
justice,  and  I  desire  none  but  candid,  truth-loving 
readers. 


6  Introduction. 

Only  to  the  patient  students  of  Psychometry  and 
explorers  of  psychic  mysteries  will  my  statement 
appear  as  it  is  —  a  too  concise  statement  of  the  grand 
results  of  psychic  investigations,  which  not  only  make 
scientific  mysteries  translucent,  but  change  the  mys- 
tic dreamland  between  two  worlds  into  a  realm  of 
luminous  reality  for  man,  the  influence  of  which  will 
work  a  far  greater  and  speedier  change  in  the  des- 
tiny of  the  human  race  than  the  discovery  of  Amer- 
ica, or  any  revelation  which  science  has  heretofore 
made. 

I  address  these  assertions  to  the  most  enlightened 
of  today,  and  to  my  friends  of  the  twentieth  century 
who  will  know  how  to  appreciate  them ;  for  I  cannot 
expect  to  see  Psychometry  enthroned  in  the  Univer- 
sities until  at  least  two  generations  shall  have  succes- 
sively carried  down  to  the  tomb  the  falsities  in  which 
they  have  been  educated. 

For  more  than  forty  years  I  have  been  before  the 
public  as  a  teacher  of  new  truths,  and  more  than  a 
thousand  pupils  have  entered  the  medical  profession 
under  my  professional  teaching  ( many  of  whom,  like 
most  of  my  contemporaries  and  colleagues,  have  passed 
on  to  a  higher  life),  and  during  all  this  time  there  has 
been  no  hostile  verdict  upon  the  sciences  which  I  have 
presented  publicly,  ever  courting  investigation  by  the 
learned :  on  the  contrary  every  report  of  investigating 
committees  has  been  a  satisfactory  endorsement  of  the 
sciences  presented,  and  the  Science  of  Psychometry 
has  not  only  been  endorsed  by  all  who  have  become 
familiar  with  it,  but  is  widely  established  in  practical 
utility  by  psychometers  who  give  descriptions  of  char- 


Introduction.  7 

acter,  and  by  physicians  in  the  diagnosis  of  disease 
among  present  or  absent  patients. 

Hence  I  can  speak  of  Psychometry  as  an  introduced 
and  established  science.  Establishment  in  the  phil- 
osophic sense  does  not  consist  in  currency  among  the 
multitude  —  it  does  not  consist  in  a  favorable  verdict 
from  public  opinion,  which  as  Douglas  Jerrold  once 
said,  is  but  "the  average  stupidity  of  mankind"  and 
which  is  always  steadily  and  persistently  opposed  to 
great  and  revolutionary  discoveries.  Establishment 
consists  in  the  favorable  verdict  of  the  competent, 
as  ownership  depends  on  the  acknowledged  deed  from 
the  donor.  The  competent  alone  can  establish,  and 
the  court  of  the  competent  is  so  harmonious  with 
itself  in  science,  that  the  verdict  of  the  first  score 
whom  we  meet  is  virtually  the  verdict  of  the  thousands 
and  the  millions  who  succeed.  The  court  of  the  com- 
petent consists  of  those  who  honestly  love  the  truth, 
and  who  with  earnest  zeal  either  devote  themselves  to 
its  search  or  hold  themselves  ready  to  give  it  a  wel- 
come, and  who  with  sound  judgment  make  a  fair  and 
full  investigation ;  all  such  in  matters  of  demon- 
strable science  come  to  a  substantial  agreement,  and 
their  first  verdict  is  as  conclusive  as  the  last.  The 
sagacious  listen  and  respect  it,  but  the  multitude 
(learned  and  unlearned  alike)  look  not  to  the  compe- 
tency of  the  court  but  to  its  personal  rank,  social  in- 
fluence, and  numerical  strength. 

To  the  suggestion  that  the  court  of  the  competent 
is  nearly  unanimous  in  reference  to  demonstrable  sci- 
ence, I  must  add  that  Psychometry  greatly  enlarges 
the  amount  of  the  demonstrable  by  removing  from  the 


8  Introduction. 

sphere  of  speculation  and  debate  many  subjects  here- 
tofore beyond  the  reach  of  positive  scientific  methods. 

It  is  over  forty-two  years  since  the  discovery  and 
public  demonstration  of  the  science  and  art  of  Psy- 
chometry.  Today  it  is  widely  known — the  practice 
of  Psychometry  is  an  honorable  and  useful  profession. 
Competent  psychometers  describe  the  mental  and  vital 
peculiarities  of  those  who  visit  or  write  to  them,  and 
create  astonishment  and  delight  by  the  fidelity  and 
fullness  of  the  descriptions  which  they  send  to  persons 
unknown,  at  vast  distances.  They  give  a  minute 
analysis  of  character  and  revelation  of  particulars 
known  only  to  the  one  described,  pointing  out  with 
parental  delicacy  and  tenderness,  the  defects  which 
need  correction,  or  in  the  perverse  and  depraved  they 
explain  what  egotism  would  deny,  but  what  society 
recognizes. 

In  physiology,  pathology,  and  hygiene,  Psychome- 
try is  as  wise  and  parental  as  in  matters  of  character 
and  ethics.  A  competent  psychometer  appreciates  the 
vital  forces,  the  temperament,  the  peculiarities,  and 
every  departure  from  the  normal  state,  realizing  the 
diseased  condition  with  an  accuracy  in  which  external 
scientific  diagnosis  often  fails.  In  fact  the  natural 
psychometer  is  born  with  a  genius  for  the  healing  art, 
and  if  the  practice  of  medicine  were  limited  to  those 
who  possess  this  power  in  an  eminent  degree,  its  pro- 
gress would  be  rapid  and  its  disgraceful  failures  and 
blunders  would  no  longer  be  heard  of. 

But  while  Psychometry  is  thus  gradually  winning 
its  place  as  our  guide  and  leader  in  medicine,  in 
education  and  self-culture,  and  has  excited  so  lively 


Introduction.  9 

an  interest  that  a  newspaper  has  been  devoted  to  this 
subject,  no  complete  and  systematic  exposition  of  the 
science  is  before  the  public.  Its  only  exposition  has 
been  by  essays  in  the  Journal  of  Man  thirty  years 
ago,  by  chapters  in  my  System  of  Anthropology,  of 
which  no  new  edition  has  been  issued  since  1854,  and 
by  the  "  Soul  of  Things"  in  three  volumes,  from 
Wm.  Denton,  the  eminent  geologist,  a  book  of  mar- 
velous interest  and  originality,  developing  the  highest 
phases  of  Psychometry  in  the  exploration  of  history, 
paleontology  and  astronomy,  far  beyond  the  utter- 
most limits  of  previous  scientific  investigation.  His 
able  and  interesting  work  has  not  had  the  circulation 
it  deserves,  because  it  is  too  far  in  advance  of  the 
age,  presenting  the  grandest  results  of  Psychometry 
to  a  public  not  yet  acquainted  with  the  science. 

The  present  work  has  long  been  called  for  by  those 
who  have  learned  of  .my  discoveries,  and  if  Psychom- 
etry has  even  the  tenth  part  of  the  scientific  interest, 
the  practical  value  and  the  power  of  advancing 
scientific  civilization,  and  elevating  the  condition  of 
all  humanity  which  is  believed  by  those  who  are  well 
acquainted  with  it,  it  is  the  duty  of  every  philan- 
thropist to  call  attention  to  this  work  and  promote  its 
diffusion. 

But  what  is  Psychometry  (which  means  literally 
soul -measuring),  what  the  process,  the  modus 
operandi  and  the  results  ? 

This  question  will  be  fully  answered  by  a  sketch 
of  the  investigations  and  experiments  which  have 
developed  the  science,  but  it  may  be  briefly  answered 
now,  that  Psychometry  is  the  development  and 


io  Introduction. 

exercise  of  the  divine  facilities  in  man,  a  demon- 
stration of  the  old  conception  of  poetry  and  mystic 
philosophy  as  to  the  Divine  interior  of  the  human 
soul,  and  the  marvelous  approximation  of  man  toward 
omniscience.  It  is,  moreover,  a  demonstration  of  the 
normal  dignity  of  human  nature,  showing  in  all 
humanity  neglected  and  often  nearly  extinct  powers, 
which  have  heretofore  been  deemed  utterly  incredi- 
ble, or  if  credible  at  all,  only  as  a  miracle  from 
Heaven,  or  as  rare,  anomalous,  mysterious  and  inex- 
plicable facts,  belonging  to  some  abnormal  phase  of 
life,  or  else  the  hallucination  of  the  visionary,  if  not 
the  illusion  of  the  dupe. 

The  dark  underworld  of  intellect  in  which  we  find 
the  responses  of  oracles,  the  revelations  of  magnetic 
somnambules,  the  prophecies  of  the  saints,  the  fore- 
casts of  the  fortune  teller,  the  mysterious  presenti- 
ments and  sudden  impressions  by  which  many  are 
guided,  the  warnings  of  death,  calamity  or  accident, 
and  the  mysterious  influences  attached  to  places, 
apartments,  amulets  and  souvenirs,  is  illuminated  by 
the  light  of  psychometric  science,  and  its  phenomena 
made  entirely  intelligible ;  for  Psychometry  demon- 
strates in  man,  and  explains  the  mechanism  of  those 
transcendent  powers  which  have  heretofore  defied 
the  comprehension  of  philosophy,  and  have  been 
regarded  with  defiant  hostility  by  materialistic  culti- 
vators of  mere  physical  science,  while  they  have 
been  welcomed  by  poetry,  religion  and  the  deepest 
emotions  which  ally  man  to  heaven.  In  studying 
Psychometry,  mystery  disappears,  and  the  most 
cautious  inquirer  in  vital  science  will  feel  that  he  is 


Introduction.  \  i 

treading  on  safe  and  solid  ground.  That  he  should 
enjoy  this  feeling  of  certainty  and  security  he  should 
be  introduced  to  the  science  by  the  successive  steps 
of  its  original  development,  and  therefore  I  would 
take  the  reader  back  forty-three  years  to  my  first 
experiments,  showing  how  Psychometry  was  evolved 

FORTY-THREE  YEARS  AGO. 

The  following  sketch  of  Psychometry  appeared  in 
BUCHANAN'S  JOURNAL  OF  MAN  (published  at  Cincin- 
nati), in  1849.  It  is  so  feir  and  complete  a  presenta- 
tion of  the  subject  as  then  developed,  that  I  prefer  to 
republish  it  without  change  and  follow  it  by  such 
further  discussions  and  expositions  as  are  suggested 
by  more  recent  investigations. 


CHAPTER  T. 

ORIGINAL    SKETCH    OF    PSYCHOMETRY. 

(From  Buchanan's  Journal  of  Man,  Cincinnati.) 

First  discovery  in  New  York  —  Introductory  remarks  —  Such  investiga- 
tions must  develop  the  wonderful  —  Sensibilities  discovered  in  Bishop 
Polk — Found  also  in  others  —  Testing  through  the  fingers  —  Number 
capable  of  such  experiments  —  Electric  transmission  of  influence  — 
Mode  of  experimenting  on  medicines  —  Experiments  on  medical  class 
and  professors  —  Influences  felt  from  human  beings  —  Influences 
transmitted  from  the  brain  —  First  autographic  experiment  with  In- 
man  —  Its  wonderful  accuracy  —  Methods  of  beginning  experiments  — 
Inferences  from  the  experiments  as  to  the  laws  of  mind  and  matter  — 
Principles  of  psychological  chemistry — Value  of  Psychqmctry —  De- 
scription of  psychometric  experiments  —  Experiments  with  Rev.  Mr. 
Kent  —  Description  of  Gen.  Jackson — Appeal  from  the  old  to  the 
young  —  Difference  of  individuals  as  to  psychometric  impressions  — 
The  achromatic  mind  not  common  —  Illustrations  of  variety — Extreme 
physical  sympathy  with  the  writer  —  Psychometric  diagnosis  of  Dis- 
ease —  Six  applications  of  Psychometry  — Accuracy  of  psychometric 
portraiture  —  Experiments  of  Chancellor  Scott  —  Description  of  Lafay- 
ette—  Description  of  Webster — Of  Miss  Martineau. 

IN  the  autumn  of  1842,  in  the  city  of  New  York,  I 
had  the  pleasure  of  ascertaining  and  proving,  by  ex- 
periment, the  existence  of  a  wonderful  power  in  the 
constitution  of  man,  the  discovery  and  use  of  which  at 
once  opens  before  us  a  wide  realm  of  knowledge.  In 
that  single  discovery  lay  the  germ  of  a  science  of  lofty 
pretensions,  and  so  wonderful  in  its  facts  as  to  be  diffi- 
cult of  belief,  if  not  utterly  incredible,  to  the  greater 
portion  of  our  scientific  men.  Yet,  high  as  its  preten- 
sions are,  they  are  demonstrable  in  the  most  rigid 
12 


Original  Sketch.  13 

manner,  and,  incredulous  as  the  public  may  be,  it 
cannot  be  long  ere  the  truth  of  my  assertions  shall  be 
familiarly  known  in  Europe  and  America. 

I  have  made  but  little  effort  to  bring  this  matter  be- 
fore the  public.  Wonderful  as  it  is,  and  well  adapted 
to  exciting  an  intense  interest,  I  have  quietly  prose- 
cuted my  experiments  for  the  last  six  years  without 
endeavoring  to  arouse  the  public  mind  to  a  conscious- 
ness of  those  sublime  and  beautiful  truths  which  the 
investigation  of  the  human  constitution  has  developed. 
While  thus  feasting  upon  the  richest  intellectual  ban- 
quet which  nature  offers  in  any  department  of  her  vast 
existence,  I  have  naturally  felt  an  earnest  desire  to 
call  in  the  wise  and  good,  from  every  quarter,  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  feast  of  knowledge.  But,  until  the  pres- 
ent time,  there  has  been  no  suitable  medium  through 
which  to  address  the  public.  I  could  not  expect,  by 
the  mere  weight  of  my  own  assertion,  to  make  a  deep 
impression  upon  the  public  mind,  and  I  had  good  rea- 
son to  suppose,  that  when  my  discovery  of  the  im- 
pressibility of  the  human  brain  had  already  marshalled 
against  me  the  universal  spirit  of  skepticism,  and  was 
but  beginning  to  receive  justice  from  a  few,  the  pro- 
mulgation of  any  additional  wonders,  still  more  incred- 
ible, would  have  done  much  to  overshadow,  with  still 
darker  clouds  of  disbelief,  the  dawn  of  true  neurologi- 
cal science. 

Unwilling,  therefore,  to  tax  too  heavily  the  public 
credulity  of  that  time,  I  have  waited  for  the  gradual 
establishment  of  my  cardinal  proposition,  in  reference 
to  the  human  brain,  before  presenting  an  essay  upon 
Psychometry.  The  six  years  which  have  elapsed 


14  Original  Sketch. 

since  the  discovery,  have  produced  a  marked  change 
in  public  opinion  —  a  prevalence  of  more  liberal  views 
—  a  willingness  to  receive  from  nature  newer  and  pro- 
founder  truths,  and  a  conviction  that  experiments 
upon  the  human  brain  are  not  entirely  deceptive  or 
fanciful. 

In  this  more  favorable  condition  of  the  public  mind, 
I  would  submit  a  frank  and  unreserved  narrative  of 
my  experimental  inquiries.  This  may  be  done  with 
greater  ease  and  pleasure,  on  account  of  the  fact  that 
I  am  now  addressing  a  circle  of  readers  comprising 
many  of  the  most  liberal  and  philosophical  class,  many 
who  appreciate  justly  the  science  of  Anthropology,  who 
look  with  deep  interest  upon  its  recent  developments, 
and  who  wish  to  sustain  a  journal  devoted  to  progress 
in  this  most  interesting  of  all  sciences. 

With  this  apology  for  an  apparently  dilatory  course, 
I  would  proceed  by  asking  for  my  narrative,  a  candid 
and  patient  attention.  It  is  not  to  announce  a  theory, 
that  I  write,  nor  to  dogmatize  in  reference  to  any  mat- 
ter of  opinion  —  but  to  present  the  facts  which  I  have 
witnessed,  and  the  inferences  to  which  they  most  ob- 
viously lead.  If  I  be  but  recognized  as  a  fair,  candid 
and  careful  reporter  of  the  facts,  I  willingly  yield  to 
every  one  the  privilege  of  reasoning  upon  the  facts 
according  to  his  own  philosophy,  and  drawing  the 
inferences  which  they  suggest  to  his  own  mind.  I 
would  but  ask  that  my  personal  testimony  be  allowed 
its  proper  force  as  a  sincere  statement,  and  that  the 
questions  involved  be  not  slurred  over  in  any  indefi- 
nite manner  by  the  reader,  but  firmly  and  frankly  met 
and  examined. 


Original  Sketch.  15 

I  think  it  but  just  to  demand  upon  this  subject  a 
more  liberal  and  expansive  mode  of  thought  ttian  is 
usually  demanded  by  the  teacher  of  physical  science. 
The  mind  of  man  is  so  wonderful  and  mysterious  in 
its  action  and  in  its  whole  existence  —  is  so  widely 
separated,  in  its  nature  and  in  its  phenomena,  from 
the  ponderable  material  world,  that  he  who  brings  to 
this  subject  the  rigid  material  spirit  of  chemistry  and 
mechanical  philosophy,  will  find  himself  unable  either 
to  perceive  its  phenomena  or  to  detect  their  causes. 
Every  moment  of  conscious  thought  presents  a  grandly 
beautiful  mystery,  for  the  explanation  of  which  we 
must  be  utterly  incompetent,  unless  we  can  rise  to  the 
dignity  of  the  subject  and  deal  familiarly  with  facts  and 
laws  as  wonderful  as  the  mystery  which  they  solve.. 

He  who  expects  to  solve  the  mysteries  of  mind, 
without  encountering  any  unusual  or  extraordinary 
facts  —  who  thinks  that  psychology  should  present 
nothing  more  profound  or  strange  than  material  phil- 
osophy, and  who  is  determined  to  resist  every  fact  or 
principle  which  is  essentially  new  and  wonderful,  may 
be  very  respectable  as  a  man  of  science  and  learning, 
but  he  cannot  possibly  do  much  for  the  advancement 
of  psychology.  We  should  bear  in  mind,  that  all  the 
co-operations  and  correlations  of  mind  and  matter, 
are  intrinsically  wonderful,  but  are  governed  by  defi- 
nite laws,  and  that  these  laws,  when  discovered,  must 
seem,  at  first,  no  less  wonderful  and  mysterious  than 
the  nature  of  mind  itself.  If,  then,  any  fact  which  I 
may  state  should,  at  the  first  glance,  appear  incredi- 
ble, the  liberal  reader  will  bear  in  mind,  that  a  certain 
wonderous  strangeness  is  inherent  in  the  very  nature  of 


1 6  Original  Sketch. 

the  sujpject,  and  that  it  cannot  be  possible  to  arrive  at 
any  explanation  of  the  relations  between  mind  and 
matter,  which  does  not  involve  principles  and  facts 
essentially  new. 

My  investigations  of  the  nervous  system  of  man  for 
the  last  twelve  years,  have  clearly  shown  that  its 
capacities  are  far  more  extensive,  varied  and  interest- 
ing, than  physiologists  or  philosophers  have  been 
willing  to  acknowledge.  We  find  in  the  nervous 
system  the  vast  aggregate  of  powers  which  constitute 
the  vitality  of  man,  existing  in  intimate  connection 
with  the  vast  and  wonderful  powers  of  his  mind. 
Those  faculties  which,  in  an  instant,  grasp  the  remot- 
est objects  of  landscape  —  which  fly,  in  an  instant, 
to  the  remotest  periods  of  time,  and  which  are  ever 
reaching  forth,  as  if  seeking  to  become  commensurate 
with  the  universe  —  are  still,  with  all  their  buoyancy 
and  power,  bound  to  the  fibres,  tubes  and  fluids  of 
the  nervous  system,  by  which  they  instantaneously 
operate  throughout  the  body.  Is  it  rational  to  sup- 
pose that  this  nervous  matter,  which  is  thus  so 
intimately  correlated  with  mind,  and  upon  which 
mind  depends  for  the  manifestation  of  its  powers, 
should  be  entirely  limited  to  the  narrow  sphere  to 
which  it  has  been  assigned  by  physiologists?  —  that 
it  should  be  so  intimately  connected  with  the  great 
eternal  miracle,  our  spiritual  existence,  and  yet  be 
so  incapable  itself  of  rising  above  the  humble  grade 
of  the  ordinary  operations  of  vitalized  matter? 

In  truth,  if  we  glance  at  the  subtle  phenomena  of 
the  nervous  matter  of  our  constitution,  we  must  at 
once  perceive  how  inadequate  are  the  common  con- 


Original  Sketch.  17 

ceptions  of  the  nervous  system.  About  nine  years 
since,  in  conversation  with  Bishop  Polk,*  of  the 
Episcopal  Church,  he  informed  me  that  his  own 
sensibility  was  so  acute,  that  if  he  should,  by  accident, 
touch  a  piece  of  brass,  even  in  the  night,  when  he 
could  not  see  what  he  touched,  he  immediately  felt 
the  influence  through  his  system,  and  could  recognize 
the  offensive  metallic  taste.  His  cerebral  conforma- 
tion indicated  uncommon  acuteness  of  the  external 
senses ;  and  when  I  mentioned  his  peculiar  develop- 
ment, he  gave  the  above  statement  as  an  illustration 
of  its  truth. 

The  discovery  of  such  sensibilities  in  one  so 
vigorous,  both  in  mind  and  body,  led  me  to  suppose 
that  they  might  be  found  in  many  others.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  neurological  experiments  which  I  soon 
afterward  commenced,  I  was  accustomed  to  place 
metals  of  different  kinds  in  the  hands  of  persons  of 
acute  sensibility,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining 
whether  they  could  feel  any  peculiar  influence,  recog- 
nize any  peculiar  taste,  or  appreciate  the  difference  of 
metals,  by  any  impression  upon  their  own  sensitive 
nerves. 

-  In  these  experiments  it  soon  appeared  that  the 
power  was  quite  common,  that  there  were  many  who 
could  determine  by  touching  a  piece  of  metal,  or  by 
holding  it  in  their  hands,  what  the  metal  was  —  as 
they  recognized  a  peculiar  influence  proceeding  from 
it,  which  in  a  few  moments  gave  them  a  distinct 
taste  in  the  mouth.  But  this  power  was  not  confined 

*  Bishop  Polk  afterwards  became  a  general  in  the  Confederate  army,  and 
lost  his  life  in  the  war. 


1 8  Original  Sketch. 

in  its  operation  to  metallic  substances.  Every  sub- 
stance possessing  a  decided  taste  appeared  to  be 
capable  of  transmitting  its  influence  into  the  system, 
and  of  being  recognized  by  its  taste.  Sugar,  salt, 
pepper,  acids,  and  other  substances  of  a  decided 
taste,  made  so  distinct  an  impression  that  each 
could  be  recognized  and  named  by  many  of  those 
upon  whom  the  experiment  was  performed.  It  did 
not  appear  that  the  sense  of  taste  was  translated  to 
the  fingers,  or  changed  any  of  its  known  laws,  but  it 
did  appear  that  contact  of  the  sapid  substance  with  the 
papillae  of  the  tongue  was  by  no  means  necessary. 

The  peculiar  influence  of  the  substance  touched  or 
held  in  the  hand  by  sensitive  persons,  appeared  to 
affect  the  hand  locally,  and  thence  to  be  transmitted 
gradually  along  the  arm,  recognized  by  some 
peculiar  sensation  as  it  passed,  and  producing  no 
other  effects  until  it  reached  the  chest  or  the  head. 
In  the  head  it  produced  its  impression  upon  the  brain 
and  nerves,  and  if  possessed  of  sapid  qualities,  was 
recognized  by  their  characteristic  impression  upon 
the  tongue  and  fauces.  The  sweetness  of  sugar,  the 
pungency  of  pepper,  and  all  the  peculiarities  of  other 
tastes  were  recognized,  as  if  the  same  substances, 
instead  of  being  held  in  the  hands,  had  been  gradually, 
in  small  quantities,  introduced  into  the  mouth. 

(It  is  perhaps  necessary  for  me  to  state  that 
these  experiments  were  entirely  independent  of  any 
mesmeric  process,  and  consisted  simply  of  what  I 
have  stated.  The  public  mind  has  been  so  accus- 
tomed to  the  processes  of  mesmeric  operators,  that 
unless  a  special  disclaimer  is  made,  it  may  be  sup- 


Original  Sketch.  19 

posed  that  such  experiments  were  made  upon  mes- 
meric or  somnambulic  patients,  prepared  by  a 
magnetizing  process.) 

The  number  of  individuals  who  could  exercise  the 
acute  sensibility  and  taste  which  I  have  described, 
appeared  to  be  variable  in  different  localities,  being 
greater  in  warm  climates  than  in  cold.  In  some 
places  one  fourth,  or  even  one  half  of  the  whole 
population  appeared  to  be  capable  of  displaying  this 
new  power  of  the  nervous  system.  In  other  places 
not  more  than  one  in  ten  or  fifteen  could  display  it 
distinctly.  Mental  cultivation  and  refinement,  acute 
sensibility,  delicacy  of  constitution,  a  nervo-san- 
guineous  temperament,  and  a  general  predominance 
of  the  moral  and  intellectual  organs,  constituted  the 
most  favorable  conditions  for  its  exercise. 

I  need  not  here  discuss  the  rationale  of  these 
phenomena.  It  may  be  supposed  that  an  impression 
made  upon  the  nerves  of  the  hand,  is  propagated  by 
contiguous  or  coutinuous  sympathy  to  the  head,  or 
that  some  imponderable  agent,  proceeding  from,  or 
through,  the  sapid  substances,  conveyed  their  influ- 
ence into  the  body.  In  behalf  of  the  latter  sug- 
gestion it  may  be  remarked,  that  when  I  placed  my 
hands  or  fingers  in  contact  with  the  substance,  its  in- 
fluence appeared  to  pass  more  promptly  and  effec- 
tually than  when  it  was  left  to  its  own  power.  This 
I  attributed  to  the  passage  of  nervous  influence,  or 
nervaura,  from  my  own  constitution,  through  the 
substance. 

I  have  since  proved,  by  experiment,  that  a  gal- 
vanic or  electric  current,  passing  through  a  medicinal 


2O  Original  Sketch. 

substance,  will  transmit  its  influence  into  the  con- 
stitution which  receives  the  current. 

Indeed,  the  influences  which  are  transmitted  by 
mere  contact,  are  not  limited  to  an  impression  upon 
the  sense  of  taste,  but  convey  the  entire  medicinal 
power.  In  the  first  number  of  this  Journal,  the 
reader  will  recollect  that  my  experiments  in  New 
York  were  reported  by  a  scientific  committee  of  dis- 
tinguished gentlemen,  and  among  those  experiments 
were  several  upon  medicinal  substances.  These 
substances  manifested  their  full  effects  upon  the 
constitution  of  the  lady  upon  whom  the  experiments 
were  tried,  by  holding  them  in  her  hand. 

It  would  readily  occur  to  the  reader  that  in  such 
experiments,  an  excitable  imagination  might  produce 
important  effects  and  materially  modify  the  results. 
The  desire  to  guard  against  any  such  delusions  led  me 
to  adopt  precautions  to  prevent  the  individuals  experi- 
mented upon  from  knowing  the  name  or  nature  of  the 
medicine  used.  It  was  either  concealed  from  their 
sight  or  so  enveloped  in  paper  as  to  be  invisible,  and 
thus  the  experiment  was  generally  made  in  such  a 
manner,  that  any  play  of  imagination  would  have  been 
immediately  detected.  Sometimes,  as  in  the  experi- 
ments at  New  York,  the  medicine  was  unknown  to  all 
present  until  the  close  of  the  experiment. 

It  was  thus  fully  established  that  a  large  portion  of 
the  human  race  may  be  affected  by  medicinal  sub- 
stances, even  without  immediate  contact  —  a  fact  which 
I  now  consider  as  well  settled  and  familiar  as  any 
other  in  medical  science  —  so  much  so  as  to  become  a 
necessary  subject  of  medical  instruction  ;  and  in  every 


Original  Sketch.  21 

course  of  lectures  which  I  deliver  to  the  medical  class 
in  the  Institute,  T  state  these  principles  and  accompany 
them  by  immediate  demonstration  upon  the  members 
of  the  class.  Medicinal  substances,  enveloped  in  paper, 
are  distributed  among  the  members  of  the  class,  who 
hold  them  in  their  hands,  while  sitting  at  ease,  list- 
ening to  the  lecture  and  waiting  for  the  effect.  It 
frequently  happens  that  when  a  vigorous  emetic,  ca- 
thartic, or  stimulant,  is  distributed  in  this  manner,  its 
impression  will  be  so  distinctly  recognized  by  some  of 
the  members  of  the  class,  as  to  enable  them  to  name 
it  correctly,  if  they  have  ever  before  experienced  its 
operation  as  a  medicine. 

During  the  present  session  of  the  Institute  the  usual 
experiment  has '  been  made,  and  the  following  mem- 
bers, out  of  a  class  of  about  one  hundred  and  thirty, 
have  experienced  decided  medicinal  impressions  by 
holding  in  their  hands  different  medicinal  substances, 
principally  emetics  and  cathartics. 

"  CINCINNATI,  January,  1849. 

"We,  the  Undersigned,  members  of  the  medical 
class  of  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute  of  Cincinnati, 
have,  at  the  suggestion  of  Prof.  BUCHANAN,  per- 
formed the  experiment  of  holding  in  our  hands,  for 
a  short  time  (generally  from  five  to  twenty  minutes), 
various  medicines,  enveloped  in  paper,  so  as  to  be 
unknown  to  ourselves,  except  by  their  medicinal 
effects ;  and  we  are  convinced  that  in  these  experi- 
ments, distinct  effects  were  produced  upon  us  strictly 
similar  to  those  which  would  be  produced  by  the 


22  Original  Sketch. 

action   of    the   same   medicines   administered    in    the 
ordinary  method. 

Wm.  Owens,  Jason  Holloway,  Wm.  W.  Hadley, 

J.  Pitts,  A.  Bauer,  J.  S.  M.  Hawkins, 

Jas.  G.  Hunt,  Jas.  Milot,  Benj.  F.  Radcliff, 

Edward  Walker,  Geo.   Black,          Wm.  Webster, 

N.  L.  Northington,  Benj.   F.  White,  A.  Hildreth, 

J.  B.  Allensworth,  Thos. H.Walters,  S.  F.  Conklin, 

O.  D.  Brooks,  W.  J.  Wann,        D.  A.  Austin, 

D.  Porter  Wooster,  C.  W.  Arnold,     Wm.  H.  Jones, 

Franklin  Talbott,  E.  J.  Martin,        Thos.  Robinson, 

Alfred  Shepherd,  T.  M.  Cobb,         E.  McKenzie, 

R.  S.  Finley,  A.  C.  Overton,    Jos.  Short, 

M.  T.  Perrine,  D.  A.  McCord,    H.  M.  Chatterton, 

A.  R.  Brown,  J.  F.  Baker,         J.  B.  Jones, 

Edwin  A.  Lodge,  J.  T.  Hance,        C.  H.  Spining, 
W.  H.  Shepherd." 

The  distinct  effects  alluded  to  were  such,  that  in 
several  instances,  when  an  emetic  (lobelia)  was  the 
subject  of  the  experiment,  the  individual  was  able  to 
avoid  vomiting  only  by  suspending  the  experiment. 

The  forty-three  gentlemen  who  thus  testify  to  the 
effects  of  the  experiments  upon  themselves,  constitute 
nearly  one  half  of  all  who  actually  tried  the  experi- 
ment on  this  occasion.  I  have  no  doubt  that  if  the 
experiment  had  been  carefully  tried  upon  all  of  the 
class,  at  least  sixty-five  would  have  felt  its  influence. 
There  are  many  physicians  in  our  country  who 
possess  this  impressibility  in  a  high  degree,  several 
of  whom  are  professors  in  medical  colleges.  Dr.  B. 


Original  Sketch.  23 

L.  Hill,  Professor  of  Anatomy  and  Operative  Surgery 
in  the  Institute,  authorizes  me  to  mention  him  as  one 
of  those  who  have  experienced  the  most  distinct  and 
perfect  impressions  in  this  manner.* 

There  is  an  analogy  to  these  experiments,  in  the 
well  known  fact,  that  medicine  placed  in  contact 
with  the  skin,  especially  upon  the  epigastrium,  are 
capable  of  producing  their  usual  influence  upon  the 
individual.  But  it  has  always  been  supposed  that 
in  these  cases  a  partial  absorption  occurred,  and  the 
medicine  was  thus  brought  into  actual  contact  with 
the  nerves.  Now,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  demonstra- 
ted that  no  such  absorption  or  contact  is  necessary, 
and  that  the  interposition  of  paper  between  the 
medicinal  substance  and  the  hand,  or  cuticle,  does 
not  prevent  the  physiological  impression. 

It  may,  therefore,  be  recognized  as  a  law  of  the 
nervous  system,  that  it  is  capable  of  being  affected 
by  the  subtle  influences  which  emanate  from  adjacent 
objects.  Influenced  by  this  consideration,  I  supposed 
it  probable  that  those  who  possessed  this  acute  sensi- 
bility would  be  distinctly  affected  by  contact  with 
living  beings,  and  would  be  able  thus  to  appreciate 
the  influence  proceeding  from  the  living  nervous 
action. 

This  conjecture  was  soon  verified  by  experiment. 
I  found  that  all  persons  of  an  impressible  constitution 
were  sensibly  affected  by  placing  the  hand  in  contact 


*  The  psychometric  capacity  was  distinctly  manifested  by  four  other 
medical  professors  of  the  Institute:  Prof.  W.  Sherwood,  Prof.  D. 
Vaughan,  Prof.  H.  F.  Gatchell,  Prof.  John  King,  all  well  known  as  able 
scientific  writers. 


24  Original  Sketch. 

with  the  heads  or  bodies  of  other  persons.  The 
effect  might  not  be  so  prompt  or  forcible  as  to  arrest 
their  attention  under  ordinary  circumstances,  yet,  by 
sitting  still  and  concentrating  their  attention  upon  the 
experiment  for  a  few  minutes,  a  decided  effect  was 
experienced.  In  this  manner,  by  placing  the  hand 
upon  the  epigastrium  of  a  patient  laboring  under  any 
disease,  a  morbid  impression  would  be  experienced, 
corresponding  to  the  character  of  his  case.  For  the 
last  three  or  four  years,  I  have  myself  become  so 
sensitive  to  morbific  impressions,  that  I  cannot  be  in 
contact  with  a  patient  even  for  a  few  minutes,  without 
being  injuriously  affected. 

When  impressible  persons  thus  come  in  contact 
with  those  who  are  in  sound  health,  by  placing  the 
hand  upon  the  different  portions  of  the  head  or  body, 
they  experience,  at  each  point,  a  distinct  effect  cor- 
responding to  the  peculiar  vital  functions  of  the  part. 
By  holding  the  hand  upon  the  forehead,  the  seat  of 
the  intellectual  organs,  they  experience  an  increased 
mental  activity.  By  holding  the  hand  upon  the 
superior  portion  of  the  head,  they  experience  a 
pleasant  and  soothing  influence,  peculiar  to  the 
moral  organs.  Upon  each  locality  of  the  head,  the 
influence  of  the  subjacent  organ  may  be  recognized 
—  and  although  the  impression  is  generally  of  but 
moderate  force  or  distinctness,  those  who  have  a  high 
degree  of  susceptibility  may  realize  the  exact  charac- 
ter of  the  organ  touched,  and  describe  not  only  its 
general  tendency,  but  its  particular  action  and  strength 
in  the  individual  who  is  examined. 

In   short,   it   may  be   stated,   that   any   person   of  a 


Original  Sketch.  2$ 

highly  impressible  temperament,  who  will  cultivate 
his  faculties  for  such  investigations,  may  learn  to 
place  his  hands  upon  the  different  portions  of  the 
head,  to  recognize  and  describe  the  action  of  the 
various  organs,  and  to  estimate  their  relative  strength 
by  the  impressions  which  he  receives  from  contact. 

Having  thus  ascertained  that  one  of  impressible 
constitution  could  easily  diagnosticate  the  action  of 
the  living  brain  by  means  of  contact,  I  found  that 
actual  contact  was  not  indispensible,  but  that  holding 
the  hand  in  close  proximity  to  the  head,  would 
answer  the  same  purpose,  though  in  a  far  more 
imperfect  manner.  By  holding  a  metallic  conductor 
in  contact  with  the  different  localities  of  the  head, 
the  influence  of  each  organ  appeared  to  be  transmit- 
ted almost  as  well  as  by  direct  contact  of  the  finger. 
Thus  I  have  employed  impressible  persons  for  several 
hours,  in  investigating  the  action  of  the  brain  in  dif- 
ferent persons  —  ascertaining  the  positions  of  organs, 
describing  their  functions,  and  estimating  their  com- 
parative strength.  A  pencil-case,  or  any  other 
convenient  metallic  instrument,  would  be  applied  to 
the  various  points  upon  the  surface  of  the  head,  and 
thus  a  psychological  survey  would  be  accomplished, 
of  incredible  minuteness  and  accuracy.  After  several 
months  had  been  occupied  in  this  manner,  ascertain- 
ing the  exact  functions  of  the  brain  in  its  different 
portions,  I  was  tempted  to  take  a  step  further  in 
advance. 

It  seemed  probable  that  if  the  psychological  influ- 
ence of  the  brain  could  be  transmitted  through  a 
suitable  conducting  medium,  it  might  also  be  impart- 


26  Original  Sketch. 

ed  to  objects  in  proximity  to  it,  and  retained  by 
them,  so  as  to  be  subsequently  recognized  by  one  of 
impressible  constitution.  Without  relating  the  exper- 
iments which  established  this  proposition,  I  would 
proceed  at  once  to  the  most  wonderful  experiment  of 
all. 

To  proceed  with  my  narrative  :  It  was  in  the  latter 
part  of  '42  that  I  made  the  experiment  which  I  would 
narrate  now  —  not  merely  to  appeal  to  the  reader's 
faith,  but  to  give  him  an  example  for  his  own  experi- 
mental inquiries.  I  had  clearly  ascertained  in  a  young 
gentleman,*  with  whom  I  had  made  many  experi- 
ments, the  existence  of  extraordinary  acuteness  of  sen- 
sibility. In  a  moment's  contact  with  the  head  of  any 
individual  he  would  discover  his  entire  character  by 
the  sympathetic  impression.  Reasoning,  which  I  need 
not  now  repeat,  had  convinced  me  that  he  possessed 
the  power  of  recognizing  a  mental  influence  in  any 
autograph  that  he  might  touch.  I  was  sitting  with  my 
young  friend  in  an  apartment  in  the  Astor  House, 
when  I  resolved  to  test  his  powers.  I  proceeded  to 
my  trunk  and  took  forth  four  letters  written  by  indi- 
viduals of  strongly  marked  and  peculiar  characters. 
I  placed  them  successively  in  his  hands  and  requested 
him  to  watch  the  mental  impressions  to  which  they 
gave  rise  in  his  mind,  and  report  his  conceptions  of 
the  characters  of  the  writers.  He  did  so,  and  his  de- 
scriptions surpassed  my  anticipations.  He  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  each  character  as  familiarly  as  if  he 
had  been  in  contact  with  the  individual,,  and  described 
not  only  his  intellect  and  his  principles  of  action,  but 
*  Charles  Inman. 


Original  Sketch.  27 

even  his  personal  appearance  and  physical  constitu- 
tion. He  knew  not  of  whom  he  was  speaking  —  he 
did  not  even  know  what  letters  I  had  placed  in  his 
hands  —  yet  I  can  say,  without  exaggeration,  that  his 
description  would  not  have  been  more  correct  if  he 
had  described  the  individuals  from  familiar  personal 
knowledge ! 

Does  this  statement,  kind  reader,  appear  utterly  in- 
credible? I  have  repeated  such  experiments  more 
than  a  thousand  times  with  similar  results,  and  could 
adduce  the  testimony  of  thousands  who  have  been  the 
witnesses  or  the  subjects  of  such  experiments.  If 
human  testimony  can  establish  any  proposition,  it  is 
sufficiently  strong  upon  this  subject.  But  it  is  my 
principal  object  to  induce  you  to  perform  similar  ex- 
periments yourself,  and  thus  remove  every  vestige  of 
doubt  from  your  mind.  My  narrative  may  be  wonder- 
ful, but  you  will  soon  find  that  you  have  yourself  sim- 
ilar wonders  to  relate,  and  will  even  arrive  at  some 
results  more  wonderful  than  any  communicated  by 
this  essay,  if  you  persevere  in  your  experiments. 

The  description  of  the  four  individuals  just  men- 
tioned, was  given  almost  immediately  on  taking  hold 
of  the  letters.  It  was  not  (like  a  description  based 
upon  physical  clairvoyance)  a  sketch  of  their  external 
appearance,  and  an  inference  of  their  characters  —  it 
was  a  sympathetic  impression  of  their  minds,  describ- 
ing them  from  the  interior  and  proceeding  forth  from 
their  own  consciousness  to  their  external  relations  and 
their  physical  development.  So  thoroughly  did  he 
sympathize  with  their  views  and  feelings,  he  not  only 
appreciated  their  position  in  relation  to  society,  but 


28  Original  Sketch. 

even  discovered  their  sentiments  in  reference  to  each 
other,  and  discovered  that,  between  two  of  the  individ- 
uals especially,  there  was  an  irreconcilable  antagon- 
ism. So  keenly  did  he  feel  their  mutual  hostility, 
that,  after  a  time,  he  requested  the  suspension  of  the 
experiment,  as  it  was  disagreeable  for  him  to  enter  into 
their  contentions  and  realize  their  unpleasant  feelings. 
As  he  recognized  the  feud,  which  really  existed,  so 
correctly  (for  the  gentlemen  in  question  had  been 
once  associated  together,  but  were  at  that  time  in  open 
hostility),  I  asked  him  what  would  be  the  effect  of 
their  collision,  and  which  of  the  parties  would  be  most 
successful  if  any  contest  should  occur  between  them  ? 
"This  one,"  said  he,  holding  the  letter  of  the  stronger 
man,  "would  crush  the  other."  Such  was  the  fact. 
They  were  distinguished  medical  men,  and  the  one 
whose  superiority  he  had  so  emphatically  recognized, 
had,  in  fact,  by  superior  talent  and  force  of  character, 
defeated  and  crushed  the  other  in  a  well  known  public 
contest.* 

Another  of  the  letters  he  recognized  as  that  of  a 
man  of  great  mental  and  physical  power.  He  was 
one  whom  I  intimately  knew  —  who  was  as  eminent  in 
talent,  eloquence  and  virtue,  as  in  political  rank. 
To  obtain  the  most  critical  test  possible,  I  requested 
my  friend  to  state  what  he  thought  would  be  the  prob- 
able result  of  a  collision  between  these  two  eminent 
gentlemen  of  different  professions.  This  he  declined 
doing,  saying  that  he  did  not  believe  any  collision 


*  Procuring  his  removal  from  the  chair  of  surgery.  Dr.  -I.  15.  Flint  \\  as 
tin;  Mir-c.on,  Dr.  Charles  Caldwell  the  founder  ol'  the,  college  (ut  Louisville) 
his  opponent. 


Original  Sketch.  29 

would  take  place  between  them.  I  insisted  that  he 
should  give  his  opinion  of  the  probable  result  of  such 
an  event,  if  it  should  occur.  He  still  objected,  remark- 
ing that  they  would  both  be  very  reluctant  to  come 
into  any  collision  with  each  other,  and  would  maintain 
dignified  and  courteous  relations.  This  I  knew  to  be 
true,  as  I  had  been  frequently  struck  with  the  grace, 
the  dignity  and  the  courtesy,  with  which  they  met 
each  other  on  all  occasions.  But  as  I  insisted  upon  a 
description  of  the  probable  results  of  a  collision  be- 
tween them,  he  at  length  pronounced  the  opinion,  that 
if  any  collision  should  occur,  it  would  go  no  further 
than  this  —  that  the  eloquent  statesman  might  give  a 
gentle  rebuke,  or  check,  to  the  other  individual,  by 
which  he  might  slightly  wound  or  humble  his  pride. 
This  was  a  true  statement  of  an  occurrence  which  had 
actually  taken  place  !  And  the  only  instance  in  which 
any  approach  to  a  collision  between  these  eminent 
gentlemen  had  ever  occurred.  Delicacy  forbids  my 
alluding  to  these  personal  matters  in  fuller  detail.  Suf- 
fice it  to  say,  that  in  this  first  psychometric  experi- 
ment of  the  kind,  I  was  fully  satisfied  that,  by  this 
process,  we  might  obtain  a  mental  daguerreotype  of 
any  one  whose  autograph  we  obtain,  as  perfect  as  the 
physical  daguerreotype  of  the  features,  obtained  by 
the  agency  of  solar  light. 

In  the  next  number  I  shall  proceed  with  the  narra- 
tive of  my  experiments  upon  autographs  from  the  first 
experimental  trials  to  the  recent  investigation  of  the 
characters  of  our  presidential  candidates,  Gen.  Tay- 
lor, Gen.  Cass,  Martin  Van  Buren  and  Gerritt  Smith. 
Before  that  number  is  published  I  would  earnestly 


30  Original  Sketch. 

request  that  each  reader  of  the  Journal  should  make  a 
series  of  these  experiments  himself,  that  he  may  fully 
realize  their  character  and  fairly  appreciate  their 
value.  To  do  this,  select  an  impressible  individual, 
according  to  the  method  presented  under  the  head  of 
"Interesting  experiments"  (in  the  January  number), 
by  ascertaining  whether  he  is  susceptible  of  attraction. 
When  you  have  found  an  individual  who  is  evidently 
attracted  by  placing  your  hand  near  his  forehead 
while  he  is  standing  erect,  request  him  to  take  his 
seat  and  bring  his  intellectual  powers  to  bear  upon  a 
new  experiment.  If  you  are  not  perfectly  certain  of 
his  possessing  the  highest  degree  of  impressibility, 
commence  with  an  experiment  upon  medicinal  sub- 
stances. Select  those  of  a  marked  character  at  first, 
such  as  stimulants  of  capsicum,  cloves,  opium,  &c.  ; 
emetics  of  ipecac,  lobelia,  tartarized  antimony,  &c. ; 
cathartics  of  jalap,  podophyllum,  gamboge,  &c. ;  nar- 
cotics of  belladonna,  stramonium,  hyosciamus,  &c. 
Request  him  to  sit  still  and  hold  any  of  these  sub- 
stances between  his  two  hands  (his  muscles  being 
perfectly  relaxed) :  let  the  medicines  be  contained  in 
a  piece  of  paper,  if  you  wish  to  conceal  from  him  their 
nature,  and  let  the  quantity  used  be  five  or  ten  times 
as  much  as  would  be  required  for  an  internal  dose. 
In  looking  for  the  results,  bear  in  mind  that  each  med- 
icine produces  numerous  and  complicated  effects,  and 
that  we  should  not  expect  its  action  to  be  merely 
emetic,  cathartic,  stimulant,  narcotic,  &c.,  according 
to  its  classification  in  the  Materia  Medica.  It  we  sup- 
pose that  our  patient  or  subject  is  deceiving  us,  merely 
because  his  descriptions  do  not  exactly  coincide  with 


Original  Sketch.  31 

our  imperfect  conceptions,  we  will  do  him  great  injus- 
tice. Nor  will  his  experiments  always  coincide  with 
each  other.  The  different  amounts  of  the  medicine, 
and  the  different  states  of  his  constitution  at  different 
times,  will  necessarily  modify  the  result. 

If,  in  this  experiment,  he  shows  impressibility,  by 
medicines  in  a  high  degree,  it  is  extremely  probable 
that  he  will  be  impressible  by  autographs.  To  ascer- 
tain this,  select  from  your  letters  the  one  which  was 
written  with  the  greatest  intensity  of  feeling  and  force 
of  thought.  If  you  have  any  written  under  deep 
grief,  violent  anger,  lively  joy,  or  tender  love,  and 
especially  if  you  have  such  as  are  opposite  to  each 
other  in  their  character,  select  the  most  marked  one 
for  experiment,  and  place  it  upon  the  center  of  his 
forehead.  Let  him  place  himself  at  ease,  and  quietly 
support  the  letter  with  one  hand,  resting  the  arm 
upon  some  convenient  support.  Before  his  taking 
the  letter,  it  will  generally  be  desirable  to  excite  the 
intellectual  organs  by  gently  touching  the  central 
portion  of  the  forehead  (just  above  the  root  of  the 
nose)  for  a  few  moments.  Request  your  subject, 
while  the  letter  is  in  contact  with  his  forehead,  to 
yield  passively  to  the  impression,  and  follow  the 
natural  current  of  his  ideas  or  feelings.  Let  him 
state  frankly  his  thoughts  and  emotions  while  under- 
going the  experiment,  and  observe  if  they  differ  from 
his  previous  train  of  mental  operations.  If. they  do, 
then  ask  him  to  infer  or  conjecture  from  the  impres- 
sion made  sympathetically  upon  his  own  mind,  what 
was  the  mental  condition,  or  what  were  the  mental 
peculiarities,  of  the  writer. 


32  Original  SkctcJi. 

This  he  will  probably  be  reluctant  to  do.  He  may 
be  conscious  of  a  new  and  peculiar  train  of  thoughts 
or  feeling,  but  he  will  suppose  it  accidental,  or 
attribute  it  to  some  trivial  circumstance.  He  will 
be  quite  reluctant  to  suppose  that  he  is  mentally 
impressed  by  the  letter.  If  he  gratifies  you  by  mak- 
ing the  conjecture,  and  stating  that  the  letter  may 
have  been  written  under  feelings  of  sadness  or  grief, 
and  if,  upon  opening  it,  he  discovers  that  his  impres- 
sion was  true,  he  may  be  struck  with  the  coincidence, 
but  he  will  probably  think  it  accidental.  The  impres- 
sions upon  his  mind  were  so  vague  and  delicate,  that 
he  can  scarcely  believe  they  were  produced  by  the 
letter.  It  is  only  after  repeated  success  in  such 
experiments,  that  he  acquires  ^confidence  in  his  own 
impressions,  and  learns  to  speak  out  freely. 

Sometimes  you  will  find  your  subject  capable  of 
determining  correctly  only  the  state  of  feeling  in 
which  the  letter  was  written.  With  higher  powers, 
he  will  enter  more  thoroughly  into  sympathy  with 
the  writer,  and  appreciate  the  traits  of  his  character, 
the  strength  and  peculiarities  of  his  intellect,  his 
favorite  pursuits,  his  usual  relations  to  society,  his 
actual  position,  his  rank  or  office,  Mis  reputation,  his 
general  career  in  life,  his  age,  state  of  health,  per- 
sonal appearance,  and  all  other  peculiarities  of  his 
physical  constitution.  Mitch  more  tJian  this  is  fre- 
quently accomplished,  but  this  much  may  easily  be 
verified  by  any  one  in  the  course  of  a  few  experiments. 

And  if  we  find  these  things  true,  to  what  do  they 
tend  ?  Do  they  not  tend  to  solve  the  problem  of  the 
relations  between  MIND  AND  MATTKK  ? 


Original  Sketch.  33 

Does  it  not  appear  that  something  emitted  from  the 
person  or  mind  of  the  writer,  has  become  attached 
to,  or  connected  with,  the  paper,  as  if  the  mental  and 
the  physical  were  capable  of  entering  into  a  psycho- 
material  combination  ?  That  some  mysterious  influ- 
ence or  mental  substance  is  attached  to  the  writing, 
is  proved  by  the  experiment.  We  find  that  imme- 
diate contact  of  the  writing  with  the  forehead,  yields 
an  impression  more  promptly  than  contact  of  the 
writing  with  the  hands.  When  the  letter  is  held 
between  the  hands,  the  impression  is  at  first  local  — 
in  the  hand.  Thence  it  gradually  passes  up  the  arm, 
like  the  influence  of  a  medicine,  and  reaches  the 
brain,  where  it'  affects  the  mental  organs  and  gives 
an  impression  of  character.  We  find,  too,  that  while 
immediate  contact  of  the  writing  with  the  forehead 
imparts  readily  its  mental  influence,  that  influence 
may  be  imparted  even  if  the  writing  in  question  be 
enveloped  in  a  fold  of  blank  paper ;  but  every  addi- 
tional fold  of  paper  intervening  between  the  head  of 
the  subject  and  the  writing  investigated,  will  retard 
the  experiment,  and  increase  the  difficulty  of  arriving 
at  a  correct  decision.  Thus  it  appears,  that  a  psycho- 
logical influence,  or  power,  has  become  attached  to 
the  writing,  and  is  capable  of  exerting  its  influence 
with  different  degrees  of  intensity  at  different  dis- 
tances. 

This  leads  us,  then,  to  the  threshold  of  the  science 
which  explains  the  connection  between  the  mind  and 
matter.  If  such  combinations  or  unions  exist,  they 
constitute  the  subjects  of  a  science  which  might  be 
analogically  called  Psychological  Chemistry.  The 


34  Original  Sketch. 

combinations  of  mind  and  matter  are  continually 
occurring  in  nature.  The  grains  of  corn  which  this 
year  are  growing  in  open  fields,  unconnected  with 
animal  life,  are  destined,  next  year,  to  yield  their 
particles  to  enter  into  combination  with  the  active 
minds  of  the  present  generation.  The  carbon, 
oxygen  and  hydrogen  of  the  corn,  are  capable  of 
entering  into  this  union  by  means  of  a  well  known 
process.  They  do  not  change  their  nature,  but  con- 
tinue still  the  very  same  carbon,  oxygen  and 
hydrogen,  with  the  same  chemical  powers  and 
properties.  They  merely  change  slightly  their 
molecular  arrangement,  enter  the  cavities  of  the 
human  body,  and  pass,  in  company  ,with  the  vita- 
lized blood,  throughout  its  channels  of  circulation, 
and  in  contact  with  the  various  vital  structures  of 
the  body.  The  elements  of  corn,  after  being  suita- 
bly dissolved,  become  vitalized  simply  by  contact 
with  the  interior  of  the  living  organs  of  the  body. 

The  most  careful  investigations  of  physiologists 
have  gone  no  further  than  this.  They  show  that  the 
absorbed  chyle  from  the  digestive  organs  gradually 
approximates  the  character  of  blood,  as  it  moves 
toward  the  lungs,  and  that  after  it  has  passed  the 
rounds  of  the  circulation  (modified  as  it  goes  by 
various  secreting  organs),  it  becomes  fully  vitalized 
and  ready  to  unite  with  the  living  organs.  Then 
where  a  demand  exists  for  new  materials  in  any  of 
the  tissues,  this  well  prepared  substance  takes  its 
place,  and  by  means  of  contact  or  union  with  the 
vital  tissues,  becomes  a  part  of  that  living,  mind- 
obeying  machine,  the  human  body.  Previous  to 


Original  Sketch.  35 

this  process,  the  vegetable  carbon  had  no  connection 
with  mind,  but  now  it  has  become  implicitly  obedient 
to  the  mind  operating  through  the  brain.  Thus  a 
large  number  of  the  substances  of  the  material  world 
are  capable  of  becoming  united  with  the  human  mind 
as  its  obedient  organs,  by  coming  under  the  influence 
of  contact  with  the  living  body  in  its  interior. 

Contact  and  the  nervous  influences  transmitted 
by  contact,  are  the  efficient  causes  of  the  change 
from  dead  to  living  substance,  by  which  mind  and 
matter  are  brought  into  union.  But  if  any  change  or 
union  is  wrought  by  immediate  contact,  may  not 
phenomena  of  a  similar  character  be  produced  at  a 
greater  distance  ?  May  not  the  vitalizing  and  men- 
talizing  influence  extend  to  substances  exterior  to  our 
bodies  as  well  as  to  those  in  the  interior  ? 

That  the  vital  influence  may  thus  combine  with 
inanimate  matter,  is  proved  by  the  phenomena  of 
contagious  and  infectious  diseases,  by  the  experi- 
ments of  animal  magnetism,  and  by  these  ex- 
periments on  letters.  Whether  these  mental  in- 
fluences proceed  directly  from  the  mental  organs 
to  the  paper,  or  are  transmitted  by  the  arm  and 
conducted  by  the  pen,  need  not  be  discussed  at 
present.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  any  highly  impres- 
sible individual  may  recognize,  in  any  piece  of 
writing,  the  entire  mental  and  physical  influence 
of  the  writer. 

By  appreciating  this  influence  justly,  he  may 
measure  accurately  the  entire  mental  character. 
There  are  other  methods  of  arriving  at  a  scientific 
knowledge  of  character,  or  measuring  the  mind ; 


36  Original  Sketch. 

• 

but  the  art  of  mind-measuring,  or  Psycho-metry,  has 
no  method  of  investigation  more  perfect  or  delicate, 
and  universally  .applicable,  than  this,  which  is,  par 
excellence,  entitled  to  be  called  PSYCHOMETRY. 

Will  you  not,  kind  reader,  do  yourself  the  justice 
to  institute  these  experiments  which  I  have  des- 
cribed ?  I  pledge  myself,  that  if  you  persevere  in 
them,  you  will  fully  succeed.  Until  you  have  done 
this,  let  me  suspend  my  narrative.  Meantime, 
repeat  the  experiments  as  fully  as  possible  which  I 
have  described,  and  then,  when  we  meet  again,  this 
narrative  will  be  continued,  with  all  the  advantages 
of  positive  knowledge  and  mutual  sympathy. 

The  sublime  bearing  of  these  discoveries  upon  the 
question  of^Jhe  nature  and  immortality  of  the  soul, 
and  their  important  practical  application  to  the  in- 
vestigation of  character  in  public  and  private  life, 
will  readily  occur  to  the  reflecting  mind.  The 
phrenologist  will  rejoice  to  recognize  in  this  new 
science,  a  method  of  ascertaining  character  far  more 
accurate  and  satisfactory  than  craniology,  and  the 
speculative  philosopher  will  perceive  that  we  have 
reached  the  commencement  of  a  new  era  in  science.  % 

In  the  application  of  this  discovery,  a  series  of 
researches  may  now  be  undertaken,  which  will  not 
only  unfold  the  general  laws  of  mind,  but  elucidate 
the  characters  of  living  men  and  throw  a  novel  light 
upon  the  darker  passages  of  history. 

The  course  of  experimental  investigation  is  ex- 
tremely simple.  Any  one  who  can  obtain  interesting 
autographs,  and  who  has  a  circle  of  intelligent  ac- 
quaintance, is  fully  prepared  for  a  course  of  pihlo- 


Original  Sketch.  37 

sophical  experiments.  I  have  usually  selected  for 
my  first  experiments,  letters  written  under  intense 
feelings.  The  best  that  I  have  used,  is  a  letter 
written  by  a  gentleman  of  strong  character  and  ardent 
emotions,  immediately  after  the  death  of  his  wife. 
The  overwhelming  grief  and  agonizing  sense  of 
desolation,  with  which  he  narrated  the  death  of  his 
beautiful  and  queenly  bride,  never  failed  to  arouse 
vivid  feelings  in  those  of  high  impressibility.  In  one 
of  my  first  experiments,  that  letter  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  a  lady,  the  wife  of  Dr.  C.  of  Boston,  who, 
as  well  as  her  husband,  was  entirely  skeptical  as  to 
such  experiments.  The  first  effect  discovered  was 
visible  in  the  tears  which  she  could  not  restrain. 
Several  times,  in  other  cases,  I  have  simply  placed 
the  letter  uj^on  the  forehead,  and  left  it  to  tell  its  own 
tale  of  woe,  in  the  sad  countenance  and  tearful  eyes 
of  the  subject  of  the  experiment.  Where  the  sym- 
pathy was  thus  complete,  they  were  generally  able, 
upon  composing  themselves,  to  inform  me  that  the 
feeling  aroused  in  their  own  minds,  was  that  of  grief 
—  such  as  would  be  caused  by  the  loss  of  some  very 
near  and  dear  friend  or  relative.  Quite  a  number 
have  been  able  to  state,  from  their  impressions,  that 
the  grief  of  the  writer,  was  caused  by  the  death  of 
his  wife ;  and  some  have  even  vaguely  described  her 
appearance. 

When  the  individual  (subjected  to  the  experiment) 
was  capable  of  strong  emotions  of  grief,  or  had  met 
with  similar  misfortunes  himself,  he  generally  appre- 
ciated better  the  feelings  of  the  writer ;  but,  when 
naturally  callous  to  such  emotions,  he  would  recog- 


38  Original  Sketch. 

nize  the  intense  and  unpleasant  excitement,  without 
appreciating  its  cause.  But  the  characteristic  effects 
of  the  letter  were  (in  proportion  as  manifested)  alike 
in  all  cases  —  an  accelerated  action  of  the  heart,  a 
deeper  respiration,  a  feeling  of  excitement  and 
anxiety  gradually  deepening  into  confirmed  sadness, 
an  excitement  and  tension  in  the  lateral  and  posterior 
parts  of  the  head,  over  the  location  of  the  organs  most 
excited  :  such  were  its  usual  effects.  Some  who  could 
not  receive  any  impression  from  ordinary  letters, 
could  perceive  from  this  a  feeling  of  excitement  with 
an  increased  pulsation  and  respiration.  Others  could 
merely  perceive  that  it  produced  a  serious  or  grave 
mental  condition,  bordering  upon  melancholy.  Mrs. 
G.,  a  lady  of  vigorous  mind,  after  holding  the  letter 
upon  her  head  a  short  time,  decided  that^she  felt  no 
impression;  but,  as  I  perceived  its  effect  upon  her 
countenance  and  voice,  I  asked,  what  had  been  the 
direction  of  her  thoughts  ?  when  she  confessed,  that 
she  had  fallen  into  a  melancholy  vein,  and  was  think- 
ing sadly  of  the  utter  worthlessness  of  earthly  pleas- 
ures and  objects  of  pursuit. 

It  is  necessary  that  the  inquirer  should  be  prepared 
to  assist  and  encourage  his  subject,  in  their  first  exper- 
iments, to  give  him  the  requisite  confidence  and  in- 
duce him  to  scrutinize  and  report  the  various  mental 
operations,  which  he  might  otherwise  overlook,  until 
he  has  learned  the  nature  of  his  task.  It  is  an  effort 
of  very  delicate  observation  and'  self:conscious  scru- 
tiny, for  which  those  will  be  best  qualified  whose 
minds  are  well  disciplined  in  meditation.  It  is  not  the 
insignificant  and  entirely  passive  character,  which  will 


Original  Sketch.  39 

excel  in  such  experiments.  Talent  requires  talent  for 
its  appreciation,  and  the  various  emotions  or  passions 
would  be  poorly  conceived  or  described  by  those  who 
had  nothing  equivalent  in  themselves.  The  philoso- 
pher, hero,  orator  and  philanthropist,  can  be  thor- 
oughly and  fully  appreciated  only  by  their  peers ; 
hence,  it  is  important  that  the  subjects  of  these  experi- 
ments should  be  themselves  possessed  of  sufficient  in- 
tellectual power  and  fullness  of  character,  to  weigh 
and  estimate  judiciously  the  intellect  and  character  of 
others. 

Often  have  I  found  the  experiment  yielding  an  im- 
perfect result  on  account  of  the  incapacity  of  the  sub- 
ject to  appreciate  the  writer,  when  the  same  individ- 
ual could  describe  with  fidelity  others  more  nearly 
akin  to  himself,  with  whom  he  could  establish  an  inti- 
mate sympathy. 

The  agonizing  emotions  of  the  letter  of  grief,  above 
mentioned,  would  upon  some  make  no  deep  impres- 
sion ;  but,  no  sooner  was  it  applied  to  the  head  of  the 
talented  Bishop  Otey,  of  Tennessee,  than  his  warm 
sympathies  were  elicited,  and  he  felt,  as  he  described 
it,  the  same  emotions  which  he  experienced  upon 
hearing  of  the  death  of  his  friend  -  — ,  killed  by 
the  explosion,  on  the  steamboat  Lucy  Walker,  and 
thus  snatched,  in  the  prime  of  life,  from  a  large  circle 
of  friends. 

We  should  be  guarded  against  relying  implicitly 
upon  opinions  pronounced  in  this  manner,  in  refer- 
ence to  character,  even  by  those  of  much  penetration, 
for  unless  the  judgment  be  sound  and  well  balanced, 
the  emotions  and  passions  fully  deve)oped,  and  all 


46  Original  Sketch. 

the  circumstances  of  the  experiment  fair  and  judicious, 
it  may  evince  material  errors. 

But,  accuracy  in  determining  character  should  not 
be  regarded  as  our  aim,  or  the  object  of  the  experi- 
ment. Its  true  aim  is,  to  establish  the  important 
principle,  that  man  possesses  a  psychometric  sense, 
or  power  of  receiving  delicate  impressions  from  any 
living  organism,  by  means  of  some  delicate,  impon- 
derable agency,  not  visible  to  the  eye,  nor  known  to 
the  researches  of  chemistry. 

It  is  important  to  establish  this  proposition,  because 
in  so  doing,  we  lay  the  foundation  for  valuable 
scientific  knowledge.  We  verify  an  instrumentality, 
by  means  of  which,  as  by  the  galvanic  battery,  we 
acquire  new  powers  of  investigation  and  analysis.  , 

To  verify  this  power,  it  is  necessary  merely  to  show 
that  the  impression  derived  from  autographs  corre- 
sponds to  the  character  of  the  autograph.  This  may 
easily  be  done  by  trying,  successively,  specimens  in 
which  there  is  a  marked  difference. 

The  letter,  expressing  grief,  I  have  usually  followed 
by  one  of  a  cheerful  character  —  as  a  love-letter  or 
one  of  lively  spirit.  Frequently  the  contrast  between 
the  two  would  be  so  striking,  as  to  produce  a  burst  of 
laughter,  and  to  convince  the  subject,  by  the  great 
transition  of  his  feelings,  that  it  was  produced  by 
something  more  than  an  accidental  train  of  thought. 
Yet,  sometimes  it  has  been  necessary  for  them  to  try 
the  letters,  alternately,  more  than  once,  to  be  fully 
convinced  that  their  feelings  were  controlled  and 
changed  by  the  contact  with  the  writing. 

Of    course    any    knowledge    or    anticipation    of    the 


Original  Sketch.  41 

character  of  the  documents  used,  might  in  some  cases 
have  an  influence  upon  the  mind  of  the  subject,  and 
should  therefore  be  carefully  kept  from  him.  As  the 
experiment  has  usually  been  tried,  by  placing  the 
letters  upon  the  forehead,  he  has  not  even  seen  the 
letter  upon  which  the  opinion  is  pronounced.  Some- 
times it  has  been  placed  between  his  hands  and  a 
handkerchief  laid  over  them,  to  prevent  his  seeing 
anything.  But,  in  truth,  these  precautions  are  neces- 
sary, chiefly  in  reference  to  the  spectators.  The 
subject  himself,  if  he  really  receives  an  impression 
from  the  letter,  will  find  that  impression  sufficiently 
forcible  and  decisive  to  lead  his  mind,  independent  of 
any  other  suggestion. 

A  judicious  method  of  questioning,  which  imparts 
no  information  by  leading  questions,  but  which  con- 
trols and  directs  the  attention  in  a  systematic  manner, 
will  be  important  in  the  initiation  of  those  whose 
minds  are  not  already  well  disciplined,  or  whose 
prejudices  prevent  their  co-operating  heartily. 

Among  the  most  interesting  of  my  experiments, 
have  been  those  upon  the  autographs  of  our  distin- 
guished public  men.  A  letter  from  Gen.  Jackson, 
written  to  my  father-in-law,  Judge  Rowan  (during 
the  political  campaign  before  his  election)  in  a 
spirited  style,  was  the  subject  of  many  satisfactory 
experiments.  Among  my  first  subjects  of  experi- 
ment, at  Boston,  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kent,  a  gentle- 
man of  pure  and  pious  character  —  of  an  active 
mind,  with  a  feeble  physical  constitution.  Spending 
an  evening,  at  his  residence,  in  Roxbury,  I  made  a 
number  of  experiments,  which  proved  him  to  possess 


42  Original  Sketch. 

high  impressibility,  and  then  told  him,  I  would 
demonstrate,  that  he  possessed  powers  in  his  own 
constitution  more  incredible  than  anything  he  had 
yet  witnessed,  by  making  him  reveal  the  character 
of  persons,  whom  he  had  never  seen,  by  means  of 
contact  with  letters,  which  he  had  never  read  ! 

He  expressed  his  incredulity  and  his  willingness 
to  try  whatever  was  proposed.  I  placed  some  letters 
upon  the  table  and  requested  him  to  place  his  hand 
npon  them,  successively,  watch  his  mental  impres- 
sions while  in  contact,  and  report  the  result. 

His  hand  was  placed,  first,  upon  the  letter  of  grief 
—  and  he  experienced  the  usual  saddening  influence. 
It  was  then  placed  upon  the  letter  of  Gen.  Jackson, 
and  he  soon  caught  its  fiery  and  resolute  spirit ;  he 
rose  from  his  seat,  announced  his  impressions  in  a 
bold,  and  correct  manner,  and  manifested  so  much 
excitement,  that  I  deemed  it  necessary  to  interrupt 
the  experiment,  by  removing  his  hand,  in  order  that 
he  might  become  sufficiently  calm  to  estimate  the 
character  and  express  himself  correctly. 

Mr.  K.  subsequently  gave  me  his  manuscript 
journal,  in  which  he  recorded,  at  the  time,  his  own 
impressions  of  these  occurrences,  from  which  I  now 
take  the  liberty  of  making  an  extract  : 

"  He  then  placed  a  folded  letter  wjth  the  sealed 
side  only  seen,  on  the  table,  and  requested  me  to 
place  my  right  hand  upon  it.  The  experiment" 
seemed  to  me  preposterous ;  but  I  remarked,  that 
whatever,  if  any,  sensation  followed,  I  should  truly 
communicate  it.  I  felt  nothing  in  my  frame  at  the 
moment,  but  very  soon  an  increasing,  unusual  heat 


Original  Sketch.  43 

in  the  palm  of  my  hand ;  this  was  followed  by  a 
prickling  sensation,  commencing  in  my  fingers'  ends 
and  passing  gradually  over  the  top  of  my  hand,  and 
up  the  outside  of  my  arm.  I  felt  for  nearly  a  minute 
no  change  in  my  mental  condition,  and  stated  this. 
Dr.  Buchanan  had  given  no  hint  of  the  nature  or 
author  of  any  letter  he  had  with  him  —  and  I  had  no 
bias  or  subject  on  my  mind  from  the  day's  experience 
to  influence  me.  A  rush  of  sadness,  solemnity  and 
distress,  suddenly  came  over  me ;'  my  thoughts  were 
confused  and  yet  rapid  —  and  I  mentioned,  there  is 
trouble  and  sorrow  here.  There  is,  too,  perplexity 
in  my  feelings.  My  whole  description,  taken  down 
at  the  time,  is  in  other  hands.  I  could  not  have 
remembered  anything  more  than  a  general  impression 
of  it  after  the  letter  was  removed. 

"Another  letter  was  laid  upon  the  table,  under  my 
hand.  My  first  sensations  were  sharper  and  stronger 
than  before,  passing  up  in  the  same  manner  from  my 
fingers'  ends.  In  less  than  a  minute  my  whole  arm 
became  violently  agitated,  and  I  yielded  to  an  irresist- 
ible impulse,  to  give  utterance  to  my  thoughts  and 
feelings.  A  determined,  self-confident,  daring  and 
triumphant  feeling,  suggested  the  language  I  used, 
and  it  seemed  to  me,  that  I  could  have  gone  on 
triumphantly  to  the  accomplishment  of  any  purpose, 
however  subtile  or  strong  might  be  the  opposition  to 
be  overcome.  My  whole  frame  was  shaken,  my 
strength  wrought  up  to  the  highest  tension,  my  face 
and  arm  burned,  and,  near  the  close  of  my  descrip- 
tion (which  also  was  taken  down  and  is  in  other 
hands),  when  I  retouched  the  letter,  after  repeated 


44  Original  Sketch. 

removals  of  my  hand  by  Dr.  B.,  in  consequence  of 
my  great  excitement,  it  was  like  touching  fire,  which 
ran  to  my  very  toes.  Dr.  B.  afterward  read  the 
letter  and  signature  of  Gen.  Jackson." 

The  language  of  this  letter  is  as  forcible  and  con- 
centrated as  any  that  ever  emanated  from  the  pen  of 
the  old  Hero.  He  declined  visiting  Kentucky,  lest 
it  should  afford  an  opportunity  to  his  political  oppo- 
nents to  assail  his  motives  and  thus  weaken  the 
confidence  of  the  people,  so  "that  the  people, 
shaken  in  their  confidence  and  divided  in  their 
action,  shall  lose  both  their  advocates  and  their 
cause.  Thus  the  panders  of  power ,  mocked  the 
efforts  of  the  people  in  former  times,  because  they 
were  blinded  by  their  arts,  or  saw  them  too  late  to 
counteract  them.  Their  prominent  friends  and 
advocates,  too,  contributing  to  the  calamities  by 
attempting  to  fight  them  with  their  own  weapons, 
when  it  would  take  more  than  the  strength  of  a 
Hercules  to  grasp  all  the  plans  which  these  Pro- 
tean monsters  could  devise." 

When  we  imagine  these  and  similar  expressions  in 
the  letter,  backed  by  the  flashing  and  indignant  eye 
of  the  old  Hero  of  the  Hermitage,  we  can  well 
understand  the  spirit  which  was  transfused  into  Mr. 
K.,  and  which  seemed  for  the  moment  an  excitement 
too  powerful  for  his  delicate  frame.  Never  did  he 
succeed  more  fully  in  infusing  his  spirit  into  his 
subordinates,  on  the  field  of  battle,  than  it  was 
infused,  on  this  occasion,  into  the  meek  and  spiritual 
clergyman,  at  the  distance  of  more  than  a  thousand 
miles,  by  the  agency  of  that  thrilling  letter. 


Original  Sketch.  45 

"  Can  such  things  be 
And  overcome  us  like  a  summer's  cloud, 
Without  our  special  wonder?" 

Aye  !  such  facts  may  be  taking  place  daily,  all 
over  the  world  —  and  may  become  familiar  as  the 
changes  of  the  seasons,  to  the  intelligent  and  liberal 
portions  of  society,  before  the  official  dignitaries 
and  wise  men  of  our  learned  societies  can  become 
aware  of  their  existence.  And  why  not?  Who 
would  expect  a  society  of  learned  men,  the  special 
cultivators  and  guardians  of  science,  as  they  claim  to 
be,  to  know  as  much  of  these  wonderful  sciences  now 
developing,  as  the  common  kind  of  people,  who 
have  no  artificial  reputation  to  risk  in  expressing  an 
opinion  —  no  false  and  inflated  conceptions  of  dignity 
and  stability  to  hold  them  back,  and  who  can  march 
right  on,  from  truth  to  truth,  as  fast  and  far  as  experi- 
mental demonstration  can  lead  them  !  If  any  of  the 
young  men  of  the  scientific  world,  unencumbered 
with  a  heavy  reputation,  should  display  a  similar 
alacrity  in  the  pursuit  of  truth,  the  phenomenon 
might  be  intelligible  ;  but,  when  gentlemen  of  forty 
or  fifty  years  of  age  are  appealed  to,  we  cannot  but 
anticipate  that  they  will  be  as  backward  now  as  they 
were  in  the  days  of  Harvey. 

Fortunately,  we  are  not  dependent  upon  their  slow 
movements.  The  stream  of  human  life  is  freshened 
every  ten  years,  by  substituting,  for  the  older  classes 
of  society,  a  generation  of  youth,  who  have  just 
entered  upon  the  active  duties  of  manhood,  and  who 
possess  the  true  spirit  of  the  time.  YOUNG  MEN  !  it 
is  to  you  that  I  appeal.  Each  generation  advances 


46  Original  Sketch, 

beyond  its  predecessors,  as  each  wave  of  the  rising 
tide  flows  further  in  upon  the  shore. 

I  appeal  to  all,  who  are  unencumbered  by  prejudice 
or  by  the  inertia  of  old  habits,  to  realize  by  experi- 
ment, to  verify  and  to  know,  the  things  which  I  have 
here  asserted. 

In  my  experiment  with  Mr.  K.,  I  noted  down  at 
the  time,  much  of  the  language  of  his  description, 
when  inspired  by  the  influence  of  Gen.  Jackson  ;  and, 
however  imperfect  the  report  may  be,  I  prefer  to  give 
it  as  a  fair  illustration  of  such  experiments.  As  soon 
as  the  exciting  influence  had  begun  to  counteract  the 
previous  impression  of  sadness,  he  remarked,  "  I  feel 
anxious  still,  but  I  have  strength  enough  to  go  through 
with  it. 

* '  Let  it  come  !  —  Let  it  come  !  —  LET  IT  COME  !  — 
[His  hand  was  removed  from  the  letter].     It  seemed 
to  me  when  my  hand  was  on  it,  I  could  go  through 
everything  —  I  had  the  feeling  —  /  AM  sufficient  for 
it. 

"  Every  time  I  touch  it,  I  feel  more  and  more  of 
that  resolution  —  come  high  or  come  low  —  I  feel  as 
John  Adams,  when  he  exclaimed,  '  Live  or  die — sur- 
vive or  perish,  etc.' ' 

He  was  asked  what  was  the  impression  it  made 
upon  his  mind  —  he  replied  : 

"  It  teaches  me  that  I  must  watch,  watch,  watch  — 
look  at  danger  lurking  everywhere." 

What  kind  of  danger,  he  was  asked  — 

"  From  those  who  attempt  to  cramp  and  do  me 
injustice  —  to  put  me  down.  But  I  am  sure  that  if  I 
do  watch,  there  is  energy  enough  to  carry  me  for- 


Original  Sketch.  47 

ward.  I  am  sure  I  shall  carry  my  point.  I  should 
know  what  I  was  about." 

He  was  asked,  what  such  a  man  would  be  fit  for  — 
he  replied  : 

"  He  is  fit  to  stand  where  very  few  men  will  stand 
-  where  it  is  necessary  to  have  determination  and 
quick  decision  —  where  a  man  must  say,  that  what- 
ever obstacles  there  are,  must  be  overcome.  When 
I  have  any  difficulties  to  overcome,  I  should  like  to 
have  this  influence." 

Qjiestion  —  What  kind  of  pursuits  is  he  adapted 
to? 

"  Not  private.  He  is  a  man,  among  men  —  in  the 
world.  He  would  forget  the  domestic  relations  —  go 
into  the  world  and  leave  domestic  affairs  to  a  wife." 

Question  — What  would  be  his  leading  motives? 

' '  Not  personal  ambition  —  but  I  feel  that  I  can  do 
what  other  men  cannot  do  —  yet  there  is  a  good  deal 
of  vain  glory  at  the  bottom.  I  do  not  think  he  can 
have  the  sentiment  of  religion  very  strong.  I  should 
feel  like  a  kind  father — indulgent." 

Question  —  What  sphere  of  life  would  he  occupy  ? 

"  The  highest  he  could  reach." 

Question  —  How  high? 

"  Very  high  —  the  very  top  round  of  the  ladder. 
He  has  not  solid  learning.  He  has  more  of  impulse 
and  self-will  than  of  caln* religious  wisdom." 

He  was  asked,  how  such  a  character  would  sym- 
pathize with  Milton,  Shakspeare,  Bonaparte,  John 
Quincy  Adams  and  Washington. 

With  Milton,  he  thought  he  would  not  sympathize, 
but  he  would  with  Shakspeare,  especially  in  his  bat- 


48  Original  Sketch. 

tie  scenes ;  he  would  be  totally  different  from  John 
Quincy  Adams  —  as  different  from  Washington  as 
passion  from  wisdom,  but  "  hale  fellow  well  met," 
with  Bonaparte. 

Question  —  To  what  class  of  men  does  he  belong  ? 

' '  To  the  race  of  Alexander  !  What  is  it  that  com- 
pels me  to  say  these  things?  " 

He  compared  him  in  reply  to  several  questions  to 
O'Connell  and  R.  W.  Emerson,  from  whom  he  dif- 
fered widely  —  to  Burr,  who  more  nearly  resembled 
him  —  to  Webster,  who  was  merely  a  giant  of  intel- 
lect, while  this  man  was  a  giant  with  intellect  enough 
to  guide  him  and  help  him  to  make  himself  "  the  ob- 
served of  all  observers."  "  He  is  an  ambitious,  pub- 
lic, popular  man." 

Finally,  without  any  question  to  lead  him  to  it,  he 
named  the  very  author  of  the  letter  —  remarking,  "  it 
seems  from  some  foreign,  furious  spirit,  or  from  such  a 
man  as  Gen.  Jackson." 

He  described  him  as  a  man  of  a  strong,  nervous, 
excitable,  passionate  temperament,  as  "just  the  man 
to  be  a  Captain  Miles  Standish  :  he  would  take  the 
lead  —  he  would  fight  honestly  —  he  is  proud  and 
happy  in  fighting  for  his  country  —  he  would  die  in 
the  last  ditch  before  sacrificing  his  counfry's  rights." 

There  was  no  little  surprise  when  the  letter  was 
read  and  proved  to  be  from  th«  pen  of  Gen.  Jackson. 
Still  more  was  Bishop  Otey  astonished,  when,  upon 
my  first  interview  with  him,  after  a  lapse  of  ten  years 
(during  which  these  discoveries  had  been  made),  I 
placed  upon  his  forehead  this  same  letter  of  Gen. 
Jackson,  to  test  his  impressibility,  and,  notwithstand- 


Original  Sketch.  49 

ing  his  skepticism,  gave  him  thus  a  vivid  impression  of 
a  heroic,  violent  character,  whom  he  at  first  compared 
to  Napoleon,  and  finally  pronounced  to  beyV/5/  such  a 
man  as  Gen.  Jackson:  when  he  had  reached  this  cli- 
max of  his  discription,  I  showed  him  the  tetter  in  the 
handwriting  of  Gen.  Jackson  himself!  !  whom  he  was 
thus  so  forcibly  describing. 

After  my  experiment  with  Mr.  K.,  a  gentleman 
present  produced  a  letter  which  he  wished  to  make 
the  subject  of  a  similar  experiment.  Fearing  that  it 
might  be  from  some  one  in  a  state  of  disease,  or  whose 
mental  influence  would  be  pernicious,  I  required  an 
assurance,  before  trying  the  experiment,  that  it  was 
not  calculated  to  produce  any  injury.  The  following 
extract  from  Mr.  K.'s  journal  describes  the  experi- 
ment : 

"  Mr.  A.  Putnam  now  mentioned  that  he  had  re- 
cently received  a  letter,  which  he  should  be  gratified 
to  submit  to  my  experiment,  and  after  an  assurance  to 
Dr.  B.,  that  it  was  from  the  hand  of  no  one  who 
might  impart  an  injurious  physical  or  mental  influence 
to  me,  it  was  placed  in  my  hands.  The  same  physi- 
cal sensations  were  felt  as  before,  though  in  a  much 
smaller  degree.  My  mind  soon  took  a  decided  tone 
of  sympathy.  I  felt  irresistably  drawn  toward  Mr. 
P.,  and  I  leave  others  to  speak  of  the  result  of  the  ex- 
periment, which  certainly  was  beyond  my  voluntary 
control,  charging  myself  to  remember  only  the  amaze- 
ment I  felt,  at  the  truth  of  my  description,  when  the 
letter  was  read." 

In  the  numerous  experiments  which  I  have  made 
upon  this  letter  of  Gen.  Jackson,  I  have  never  seen  a 


50  Original  Sketch. 

more  intense  impression  than  this  upon  Mr.  K.,  but 
the  varied  results  have  been  extremely  instructive,  in 
showing  how  the  same  impression  is  differently  recog- 
nized by  different  minds. 

The  minds  of  men  are  not  perfectly  transparent 
crystals,  through  which  the  light  may  pass  unchanged, 
producing  the  same  image  in  all.  Each  has  its  own 
peculiar  stratification,  which  in  some  way  distorts  the 
fair  image  of  truth,  and  each  has  its  own  peculiar 
tinge  to  color  the  picture  of  the  external  world.  In 
our  mental  daguerreotypy,  a  perfectly  transparent, 
achromatic  intellect,  is  one  of  the  rarest  endowments 
among  men  —  especially  among  those  whose  ambition 
and  selfish  energies  have  given  them  a  prominent 
rank. 

The  autograph  of  Gen.  Jackson,  which  always  im- 
parted a  conception  of  energy  and  force  of  character, 
produced  a  very  different  conception  of  his  moral 
worth,  as  the  individual  deciding  was  more  or  less  in- 
clined to  admire  his  military  career.  Those  who  pos- 
sessed a  similar  spirit  would  use  the  language  of  eulo- 
gium,  while  those  whose  sympathies  and  opinions  led 
them  to  act  with  the  Whig  party,  in  opposition  to  the 
General,  were  disposed  to  condemn  some  traits  of  his 
character,  even  when  thus  deciding  by  mental  impres- 
sions, unconscious  of  their  source. 

The  opinions  pronounced  were  not  always  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  previous  opinions  entertained  by 
the  individual  (especially  when  such  opinions  were 
based  upon  any  erroneous  information),  but  were 
formed  in  accordance  with  his  general  habits  of 
thought,  and  the  standard  of  character,  which  he  re- 


Original  Sketch.  51 

cognized  as  just.  Hence,  a  public  man,  overrated  by 
common  fame,  would  sometimes  be  brought  to  his 
true  level  in  these  Psychometric  decisions,  and  others 
less  known  to  fame  would  receive  liberal  justice. 

The  opinion  given,  appeared  to  be  generally  a  fair 
application  of  the  principles  and  standard  of  character 
in  the  mind  of  the  subject,  to  the  essential  character 
and  spirit  of  the  writer,  uncloaked  by  any  disguise, 
and  uninfluenced,  by  public  opinion,  or  even  the  pre- 
vious opinions  of  the  subject,  concerning  the  same  per- 
son. Thus,  when  the  Rev.  Mr.  K.  was  tested  upon 
the  autograph  of  Mr.  Jefferson,  of  whom  he  gave  a 
favorable  description,  he  expressed  much  gratification 
afterward,  at  having  been  thus  enabled  to  obtain  so 
much  higher  a  conception  of  the  character  of  Mr. 
Jefferson,  than  he  had  previously  entertained,  having 
imbibed  in  early  life  some  prejudice  against  that  states- 
man. 

A  lawyer  of  the  democratic  party,  in  Mississippi, 
politically  opposed  to  Mr.  Clay,  and,  consequently, 
viewing  his  character  through  the  medium  of  party 
spirit,  was  ascertained  to  be  highly  impressible.  A 
number  of  experiments  convinced  him  of  the  verity 
of  his  psychometric  power.  A  letter  was  subjected 
to  his  investigation,  to  which  he  gave  such  a  charac- 
ter as  has  been  given  Mr.  Clay  by  his  ardent  admir- 
ers— and  as  he  felt  the  impression  vividly,  he  expressed 
himself  strongly.  When  he  learned  who  was  the 
author  of  the  letter,  he  at  once  frankly  acknowledged 
that  he  was  convinced  of  the  admirable  qualities  of 
Mr.  Clay's  character,  and  would,  henceforth,  renounce 
his  prejudices  against  him  !  Thus  the  letter  was  the 


52  Original  Sketch. 

means  of  establishing  a  true  mental  contact  between 
Mr.  Clay  and  Mr.  W.,  by  which  the  latter  learned 
his  true  character;  and  I  feel  well  assured,  from 
their  relative  characters,  that  if  they  had  met  in 
unreserved  social  intercourse,  Mr.  W.  would  have 
derived  the  same  impression  from  personal  associa- 
tion. 

In  my  first  experiments  with  Judge  T.  (of  the 
Supreme  Court  of  Mississippi),  a  ^different  result 
occurred.  The  Judge,  though  a  democrat  in  politics, 
was  a  man  of  calm  reflective  character,  and  New 
England  education — one  of  the  men  in  whom  we 
should  not  look  for  any  mental  affinity  with  the  Hero 
of  New  Orleans.  In  accordance  with  his  usual 
habits,  he  was  slow  to  recognize  the  truth  of  Neurol- 
ogy ;  but,  having  seen  a  number  of  illustrative  facts, 
and  observed  its  truth  as  applied  to  himself,  he  began 
to  pay  some  attention  to  the  subject.  I  fancied  that 
he  was  impressible,  and  made  the  first  trial  with  him 
among  the  members  of  my  class,  by  placing  upon  his 
forehead  the  autograph  of  GEN.  WASHINGTON.  His 
impressions  were  vivid  and  clear — he  gave  an  opin- 
ion in  forcible  and  eloquent  language,  which  intensely 
interested  all  around,  and  was  indeed  one  of  the  best 
descriptions  of  Washington's  character  which  I  have 
ever  heard.  Before  gratifying  his  curiosity  to  know 
of  whom  he  had  thus  spoken,  I  requested  him  to  pro- 
nounce his  impressions  of  another  autograph,  which 
I  next  offered. 

I  placed  upon  his  forehead  the  autograph  of  Gen. 
Jackson.  As  soon  as  the  spell  of  the  influence  of 
Washington  had  subsided,  he  perceived  a  very  differ- 


Original  Sketch.  53 

ent  chara6ter,  and  recoiled  from  it  with  an  expression 
of  aversion,  seemingly  reluctant  to  express  his  opin- 
ion. But  upon  reflection  he  renewed  the  experiment, 
expressing  the  apprehension  that  he  might  do  some 
injustice  by  so  hasty  a  conclusion.  He  then  deliber- 
ately proceeded  to  portray  the  character,  not  as  it 
would  have  been  viewed  by  a  political  friend  of  the 
General,  but  just  as  we  might  suppose  it  would  have 
been  estimated  by  one  of  the  previous  education  and 
habits  of  Judge  T. — in  fact,  it  was  just  such  a  descrip- 
tion as  might  have  been  heard  from  the  political  oppo- 
nents of  Gen.  Jackson,  when  he  was  in  the  arena  of 
party  politics.  Thus,  the  opinions,  in  these  cases, 
proved  to  be  just  such  decisions  as  might  have  been 
expected  from  the  true  mental  contact  of  the  men 
aside  from  all  extrinsic  influence. 

The  psychometric  experiment,  therefore,  does  not 
infallibly  develop  a  true  estimate  of  men,  but  tries,  or 
estimates  their  true  character,  by  the  standard  of  jus- 
tice and  propriety  in  the  mind  of  the  subject.  Its 
advantage  consists  in  the  fact,  that  it  is  a  fair  trial  of 
the  true  man  —  the  essential  spirit  of  his  character  is 
appreciated,  stripped  alike  of  the  halo  of  reputation, 
the  mists  of  obscurity,  and  the  mirage  of  prejudice. 
The  man  is  truthfully  made  known  to  those  who 
decide  upon  his  merits  ;  the  spirit  of  the  man  is  con- 
veyed by  his  writings,  and  though  silent,  he  is  fully 
heard  and  understood. 

Yet  it  may  happen  that  the  writer  is  so  very  dissim- 
ilar to  the  subject,  that  no  proper  sympathy  can  be 
established,  nor  any  proper  opinion  obtained.  Some- 
times the  subject  will  be  able  to  decide  with  facility 


54  Original  Sketch* 

and  correctness  upon  one  class  of  autographs,  but  will 
be  utterly  disqualified  for  appreciating  another  class, 
especially  when  he  has  strong  prejudices,  or  carries 
any  of  his  opinions  to  a  fanatical  extravagance.  I 
was  much  amused  with  the  influence  of  the  autograph 
of  General  Jackson,  upon  a  lady,  of  strong  prejudices, 
quite  zealous  in  behalf  of  anti-slavery,  non-resistance, 
and  other  moral  doctrines  and  reforms — there  was  too 
great  a  repugnance  of  sentiment,  for  her  to  appreci- 
ate justly  his  character,  but  she  was  so  thoroughly 
under  the  influence  of  the  letter  (knowing  nothing  of 
the  name  of  the  writer),  as  to  get  an  idea  of  his  per- 
sonal appearance,  to  feel  an  intense  excitement  of  the 
region  of  Firmness  in  her  own'  head  (the  usual  effect 
of  the  letter),  and  even  to  feel  as  if  her  face,  which 
was  round  and  full,  was  distorted  in  resemblance  to 
the  writer's.  She  complained  of  feeling,  as  though 
her  face  was  hard  and  elongated,  her  cheeks  hollow, 
and  her  whole  temperament  changed  to  the  energetic 
iron  tone  of  General  Jackson's.  This  physical  change 
attracted  her  attention  even  more  than  the  traits  of 
the  character,  and  so  vivid  were  her  sensations,  that 
it  was  only  by  feeling  her  own  face  with  her  hands, 
and  asking  those  present  how  it  looked,  that  she  could 
escape  the  conviction,  that  her  face  had  actually 
changed  its  appearance.  The  idea  of  a  change  in 
her  face,  was  a  spontaneous  suggestion  of  her  own, 
and  surprised  me  by  the  extent  to  which  she  carried 
it.  This  physical  sympathy  regularly  occurs  in  such 
experiments,  whether  observed  or  not.  Hence,  the 
precautions  against  using  the  manuscript  of  those  in 
bad  health  are  often  important. 


Original  Sketch.  55 

A  young  lady,  of  Boston,  of  highly  cultivated 
mind,  with  a  very  delicate  constitution,  was  tried,  by 
one  of  her  friends,  in  an  experiment  upon  the  auto- 
graph of  an  eminent  divine.  The  experiment  was 
very  satisfactory  in  the  portraiture  of  his  character 
and  emotions  ;  but,  at  its  close,  the  young  lady  found 
a  great  difficulty  of  locomotion,  which  was  quite 
inexplicable  to  them,  until  they  recollected  the  lame- 
ness of  the  writer,  Rev.  Mr.  Gannett,  to  whose 
influence  she  had  been  subjected.'  In  subsequent 
experiments,  the  same  young  lady  found  herself  so 
frequently  injured  by  the  morbid  influence  of  auto- 
graphs, injudiciously  urged  upon  her  for  investigation 
by  friends,  as  to  compel  her  to  decline  the  experi- 
ments, for  self-preservation. 

The  extent  to  which  this  physical  sympathy  may 
be  carried,  renders  it  practicable  to  describe  the 
physiological  condition  of  the  writer,  as  correctly 
as  the  mental.  Indeed,  I  have  sometimes  resorted 
to  this  method,  for  the  purpose  of  ascertaining  the 
condition  of  patients  at  a  distance.  The  great  value 
of  this  method  of  diagnosis,  however,  is  limited  by 
the  fact,  that  such  investigations  may  be  quite 
unpleasant  and  injurious  to  those  who  are  employed 
in  sympathetically  describing  disease.  A  long  con- 
tinuance, or  frequent  repetition  of  such  experiments, 
would  prove  decidedly  injurious  to  their  health,  but 
a  brief  occasional  examination,  followed  by  manipu- 
lations to  disperse  the  morbid  influence  and  restore  a 
healthy  action,  might  be  undertaken  with  impunity. 

The  physiological  and  pathological  influence,  which 
attaches  to  a  letter,  is  not  limited  to  that  method  of 


56  Original  Sketch. 

transmission.  It  is  true  the  mental  influence  is  more 
thoroughly  imparted  in  the  act  of  writing,  in  which 
the  mind  is  vigorously  engaged ;  but,  even  in  ordi- 
nary contact,  the  influence  of  the  whole  constitution 
may  be  imparted,  sufficiently  for  diagnosis,  by  the 
highly  susceptible.  Thus,  a  lock  of  hair,  or  an 
article  of  clothing,  may  be  made  the  means  of  form- 
ing a  correct  diagnosis.  In  this  fact,  the  philosophic 
mind  sees  but  an  extension  of  the  law  of  contagion. 
The  clothing  of  the  sick,  or  anything  with  which 
they  have  been  in  contact,  will,  it  is  well  known, 
transmit  to  healthy  constitutions  their  peculiar  form 
of  disease.  It  is  commonly  supposed,  that  this  law 
of  contagion  is  limited  in  its  operation  to  certain 
specific  diseases ;  but,  in  truth,  there  is  no  such 
definite  boundary  between  contagion  and  non-conta- 
gion. All  diseases  partake  in  some  degree  of  the 
contagious  character,  and  whenever  the  disease  is 
sufficiently  intense,  the  number  of  sick  sufficiently 
accumulated,  the  constitutions  of  the  attendants  suf- 
ficiently predisposed,  or  the  contact  with  the  sick 
sufficiently  frequent  and  intimate,  diseases  are  trans- 
mitted—  not  only  cholera,  yellow  fever  and  typhoid 
fever,  but  even  diseases  of  a  milder  type,  may  be 
thus  imparted.  And  as  there  is  an  infinite  gradation 
and  variety  of  sensibility  in  different  constitutions, 
even  reasoning  a  -priori  should  teach  us,  that  there 
may  be  individuals  upon  whom  all  diseases  exert  a 
contagious  influence,  and  that  this  contagion  might 
be  transmitted  according  to  the  usual  laws  of  conta- 
gion or  infection,  by  any  substance  which  has  been 
in  contact  with  the  patient. 


Original  Sketch.  517 

How  absurd,  then,  is  the  conduct  of  those  medical 
men,  who  sneer  at  the  pretensions  of  mesmerism,  and 
who  refuse  to  believe  in  the  sympathetic  diagnosis  of 
disease,  when  it  is  strictly  in  accordance  with  the 
history  of  epidemic  diseases.  If,  kind  reader,  you 
have  ever  indulged  a  hasty  prejudice  against  mes- 
meric subjects,  who  profess  to  diagnosticate  disease 
by  contact  with  a  lock  of  hair,  or  any  article  of  cloth- 
ing, will  you  not  lay  aside  such  feelings,  and  observe 
how  strictly  such  performances  are  in  harmony  with  the 
laws  of  the  nervous  system,  and  with  our  own  experi- 
ments upon  medicines  and  upon  letters.  If  you  have 
not  yet  learned  that  such  things  are  possible,  let  me 
request  you,  in  your  next  experiment  upon  a  letter,  to 
select  one  from  an  individual  laboring  under  some 
disease  or  pain,  at  the  time  of  writing,  and  observe 
whether  the  subject  of  your  experiment  does  not 
sympathize  with  the  physical  suffering  of  the  writer. 
After  you  have  made  a  few  such  experiments,  you 
will  agree  with  me,  as  to  the  value  of  this  method  of 
diagnosis,  and  you  will  not  doubt  that  physicians  may 
hereafter  rely  upon  this  method  in  the  treatment  of 
patients  at  a  distance. 

To  develop  properly  the  subject  of  Psychometry, 
in  all  its  bearings,  would  require  a  large  volume.  In 
this  brief  sketch  I  can  but  glance  at  its  principal 
relations  : 

1 .  As  a  practical  means  of  judging  of  the  charac- 
ters of  men  more  accurately,    than   by   the  aids  of 
phrenology  and  physiognomy. 

2.  As  an  assistance  to  the  study  of  history  and 
biography. 


58  Original  Sketch. 

3.  As  an  assistance  to  the  administration  of  jus- 
tice, in  determining  questions  of  guilt  or  innocence, 
sanity  or  insanity. 

4.  As  assistant  to  self-cultivation,  by  the  study  of 
our  own  character,  and  to  the  education  of  the  young, 
by  showing  their  true  mental  and  physical  condition. 

5.  As  an  assistance  to  the  practice  of  medicine, 
by  furnishing   a   convenient  method  of  pathological 
diagnosis. 

6.  As  the  means  of  investigating  spiritual  phil- 
osophy—  the  existence  and  relations  of  the  soul,  and 
the  various  relations  of  the  living  man  to  the  spiritual 
world. 

As  a  method  of  determining  the  characters  of  the 
living,  Psychometry  has  an  accuracy  and  delicacy 
which  phrenology  and  physiognomy  cannot  possibly 
obtain.  Phrenology,  at  best,  but  estimates  the  proba- 
ble tendencies  of  the  character,  from  the  cranial 
development.  It  determines  nothing  positively,  for 
it  leaves  to  education  and  circumstances  a  controlling 
influence.  Psychometry  determines  the  actual  charac- 
ter, as  it  was  at  the  time  of  writing  —  tracing  not 
only  the  essential  personal  character,  but  the  rela- 
tions of  the  individual  to  those  around  him  and  his 
entire  social  position.  It  enters  into  the  analysis  and 
portraiture  of  his  feelings,  like  an  intimate  friend 
speaking  from  personal  knowledge. 

I  have  often  tested  its  powers  in  relation  to  myself 
and  friends,  as  well  as  to  many  celebrated  characters, 
and  thus  have  ascertained  its  adaptation  to  minute  por- 
traiture. Indeed  the  subject ;  will  frequently  not  only 
describe  the  character  of  the  writer,  but  speak  of  the 


Original  Sketch.  59 

character  of  the  letter,  the  principal  ideas  which  it 
conveys,  and  the  motives  of  the  writer  in  expressing 
those  ideas.  Nay  more,  the  conceptions  which  the 
writer  may  entertain  of  the  person,  to  whom  or  of 
whom  he  is  writing,  will  frequently  be  distinctly 
described ;  and,  in  some  instances,  where  the  person 
addressed  is  one  of  greater  weight  of  character  than 
the  writer,  the  idea  of  him  may  even  take  precedence 
of  the  conception  of  the  writer  himself. 

The  sketches  of  individual  character,  have  often 
been  so  striking,  that  the  auditors  could  recognize  the 
individual  by  the  description,  while  the  subject,  en- 
grossed in  the  study  of  his  mental  impressions,  would 
be  utterly  unconscious  of  the  accurate  application  of 
his  sketch  to  some  well-known  character.  In  other 
cases,  the  subject  would  perceive  its  application  to 
some  known  individual  and  declare  that  he  knew  who 
was  the  writer. 

One  of  the  best  portrayers  of  character,  whom  I 
have  found,  was  a  gentleman  *  of  the  legal  profession 
of  Jackson,  Mississippi,  who  approached  the  subject 
with  great  skepticism  and  was  very  reluctant  to  be- 
lieve in  the  verity  of  his  impressions  ;  but,  after  becom- 
ing convinced,  would  frequently  try  the  experiment  to 
gratify  his  friends,  who  had  heard  of  his  remarkable 
powers  in  these  psychometric  experiments.  A  few 
weeks  after  I  had  introduced  him  to  this  class  of  ex- 
periments, I  learned  that  he  had  kept  an  account  01 
his  progress  in  that  way,  and  that  he  had  pronounced 
upon  one  hundred  and  fifty  autographs,  without  mak- 
ing any  very  material  errors  in  the  whole  of  his  opin 

*  Charles  Scott,  subsequently  Chancellor, 


60  Original  Sketch. 

• 

ions.  His  success  induced  efforts  to  hoax  him,  which 
were  baffled  by  the  great  accuracy  of  his  perceptions 
A  blank  letter  was  given  him  to  investigate,  presum- 
ing that  he  would  indulge  his  imagination  in  giving  it 
a  character,  and  thus  afford  a  little  sport.  One  of 
less  acuteness  might  well  have  been  hoaxed,  by  de- 
scribing his  own  frame  of  mind  at  the  time,  and  sup- 
posing it  to  be  derived  from  the  writer  of  the  letter ; 
but  Mr.  S.,  after  holding  it  sometime  upon  his  fore- 
head, perceived  that  no  new  mental  condition  was 
produced,  and  concluded,  that  as  no  mental  impres- 
sion arose,  the  pretended  letter  was  void  of  writing. 
Thus  detecting  the  hoax,  he  turned  the  tables  upon 
the  hoaxers,  by  remarking,  that  the  letter  was  like  its 
author  who  presented  it,  a  perfect  blank  in  society. 

It  is  obvious,  that  such  an  experiment  would  form 
no  proper  test  of  the  verity  of  these  perceptions ;  for 
most  persons,  in  their  first  experiments,  are  by  no 
means  certain  whether  their  mental  impressions  arise 
from  their  own  spontaneous  trains  of  thought,  or  frojn 
the  influence  of  the  letter  —  hence  they  would  not  be 
able  to  discriminate  between  a  letter  and  a  piece  of 
blank  paper,  until  a  sufficient  amount  of  experience 
had  made  them  familiar  with  the  various  impressions, 
and  able  to  decide  positively  between  the  suggestions  of 
association  and  the  influence  of  exterior  impressions. 

Frequently  it  happens,  that  the  first  impressions  of 
a  letter  will  be  vague  and  even  incorrect  —  the  mind 
not  being  in  the  right  mood  to  sympathize  with  it  — 
and  the  individual  venturing  to  express  an  opinion, 
before  he  has  had  time  to  perceive  the  whole  charac- 
ter, and  weigh  its  different  tendencies. 


Original  Sketch.  61 

Thus,  for  example,  Mr.  S.,  on  one  occasion,  fell 
into  an  error,  in  the  commencement  of  his  description 
of  a  difficult  autograph,  although  he  would  usually 
describe  the  person  with  so  much  minuteness  in  all  his 
relations,  as  to  tell  the  exact  political  office  which  he 
occupied.  When  trying  the  autograph  of  Judge  T., 
above  mentioned,  he  pronounced  the  writer  to  be  a 
lawyer,  a  jurist,  and  to  be  actually  an  occupant  of  the 
Supreme  Bench  of  the  State,  which  was  true.  In 
other  cases  he  would  say,  this  man  has  been  President 
of  the  United  States  (if  trying  the  autograph  of  one 
of  the  Presidents),  or  he  aspires  to  that  office,  when 
he  examined  the  autographs  of  presidential  'candi- 
dates. 

It  happened  that  while  Mr.  S.  and  several  other 
gentlemen  were  sitting  with  me,  in  my  apartment  at 
the  Hotel  (in  Jackson,  Mississippi),  I  proposed  a  new 
experiment,  for  the  gratification  of  some  who  had 
never  witnessed  his  powers.  I  selected  an  autograph, 
which,  on  previous  occasions,  I  had  avoided  using,  on 
account  of  the  peculiar  difficulty  of  its  investigation. 
The  difficulty  in  this  case  (which  I  will  explain  here- 
after), made  it  necessary  to  employ  one  like  Mr.  S., 
acute  in  perception  and  clear  in  his  judgment,  to  de- 
cide correctly  — but  even  he  was  at  first  a  little  at 
fault.  The  letter  was  from  GENERAL  LAFAYETTE. 
It  was  placed  upon  his  forehead  —  no  one  in  that  re- 
gion even  suspected  that  I  had  any  such  document  in 
my  possession,  until  after  the  experiment.  After  delib- 
erating a  few  moments  he  remarked  : 

"  Seems  to  be  dead  —  no  activity  in  the  region  of 
the  heart  —  great  quietude  in  the  physiological  condi- 


52  Original  Sketch. 

don  —  DEAD  decidedly.     The  impressions  are  less  dis- 
tinct than  usual." 

In  a  few  moments  he  proceeded :  "A  character  of 
great  benevolence  —  religion  ;  he  is  firm  and  decided 
• —  his  affections  are  strong  ;  he  is  philanthropic,  a  man 
of  excellent  judgment,  rather  philosophic ;  he  would 
think  deeply,  profoundly ;  he  was  a  man  of  consider- 
able invention  ;  he  made  his  own  fortune  —  rose  from 
humble  station.  [Thus  far,  we  perceive,  he  had 
caught  the  character  but  not  fully  weighed  it,  the  last 
remark  being  a  hasty  inaccurate  conclusion.]  He  is 
well-known  —  he  lives  in  history.  His  perceptive 
organs  are  good,  he  has  great  observation,  a  great 
admirer  of  the  beauties  of  nature  —  there  is  more  cool 
deliberate  thought  here." 

Question  —  At  what  period  did  he  live  —  in  what 
kind  of  scenes  did  he  figure  ? 
,"  He  figured  in  the  revolutionary  war  !  " 

Question  —  What  part  did  he  bear? 

"He  bore  a  distinguished  part  —  was  perhaps  in 
the  Continental  Congress." 

Question  —  Where  do  you  locate  him  ? 

"  Not  in  the  United  States  —  in  France  !  " 

Question  —  Why  do  you  say  so  ? 

"  It  rises  up  before  me." 

Question  —  To  what  pursuits  is  he  adapted  ?  What 
kind  of  a  lawyer  would  he  make  ? 

"  I  do  not  think  that  that  is  his  field." 

Question  —  What  would  you  think  of  him  as  a 
statesman  ? 

"  Very  well  —  he  is  almost  too  conscientious  for  a 
real  politician." 


Original  Sketch.  63 

Question —  What  would  you  think  of  him  as  a  mil- 
itary man? 

"  First  rate  !  calm,  dignified,  self-possessed,  with 
great  promptness  and  decision,  he  would  meet  it 
boldly.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  philosophy  in  his 
tone  of  thought  and  observation." 

Question — What  do  you  think  of  his  principles? 

"They  are  "liberal,  republican — he  has  confidence 
in  the  doctrines  of  self-government  by  the  people  — 
he  has  no  doubt  about  the  problem." 

Question — What  reputation  does  he  bear? 

"  Very  exalted  —  there  is  no  difference  of  opinion 
—  posterity  are  grateful  —  they  hold  his  memory 
dear  —  they  think  him  a  patriotic,  noble-hearted, 
courageous  man  —  one  who  had  the  interests  of  the 
world  at  heart  —  who  wished  to  dispense  light  and 
liberty  to  all  the  world  :  he  would  not  be  contented 
with  any  small  matter,  nor  on  a  small  theatre." 

Question  —  What  of  his  ambition  ? 

"  He  has  so  many  good  qualities,  I  hardly  know; 
he  would  be  governed  more  by  high  moral  faculties 
than  by  ambition." 

"  He  has  been  in  battle  !  He  was  in  the  battle  of 
Germantown  !  That  rises  up  before  me  !  He  has 
been  wounded,  has  shed  his  blood  !  He  was  wounded 
in  that  battle  !  " 

As  he  had  now  evidently  full  possession  of  the 
character,  and  the  former  and  latter  portions  of  his 
description  were  rather  inconsistent,  I  asked  him  to 
review  the  matter  and  give  me  his  final  decision. 
He  remarked,  that  the  latter  portion  of  his  opinion 
was  more  correct  than  the  former,  and  that,  as  to 


64  Original  Sketch. 

invention,  there  was  good  inventive  power,  but  it  was 
exercised  in  planning  rather  than  invention  —  that  he 
was  deeply  interested  in  the  American  war,  and  if 
not  in  the  Congress,  took  a  deep  interest  in  that  body. 
In  reply  to  questions,  he  remarked,  that  he  had  been 
imprisoned  and  escaped  —  that  he  had  enjoyed  a 
vigorous  constitution  —  had  died  a  natural  death  at 
seventy-eight  or  eighty  years  of  age,  and  had 
probably  deceased  some  eight  or  ten  years  since. 

In  the  latter  part  of  his  description,  I  suppose  he 
must  have  discovered  that  he  was  describing 
Lafayette ;  but  no  allusion  was  made  to  the  name 
by  him  or  myself,  as  such  allusions  are  carefully 
avoided  in  this  class  of  experiments,  for  obvious  rea- 
sons. Hence,  the  habit  is  acquired  of  excluding 
from  the  mind  any  thought  of  the  name  of  the  indi- 
vidual, so  as  to  preserve  strict  impartiality  in  follow- 
ing the  impressions. 

Persons  in  whom  the  inferior  and  occipital  organs 
predominate,  will  be  inclined  to  look  on  the  unfavora- 
ble side  of  every  character,  and  will  thus  do  injustice 
in  their  psychometric  decisions.  But  this  is  not  often 
the  case  among  those  who  enjoy  this  faculty  in  a 
high  degree.  Much  more  frequently  do  we  find  the 
amiable  faculties  so  largely  predominating,  as  to  lend 
a  roseate  hue  to  every  portrait  and  disqualify  them 
for  any  searching  criticism.  Such  was  the  case  m 
the  opinions  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  K.,  who  indulged 
habitually  in  glowing  language,  when  he  found  any- 
thing to  commend.  Of  this  I  might  select,  as  an 
example,  his  description  of  an  autograph,  which  was 
placed  in  his  hands,  at  a  private  meeting  of  the  mem- 


Original  Skeick.  65 

bers  of  a  Neurological  society,  in  Boston.  Not 
having  been  present  myself,  his  language  was 
reported  to  me  by  a  member  of  the  society,  as  fol- 
lows : 

"  I  feel  the  influence  of  a  great  man.  This  man  is 
a  giant,  a  man  who  looks  broadly,  deeply,  clearly. 
He  is  a  man  who  holds,  or  has  held,  a  high  political 
office  —  is  one  who,  when  he  speaks,  fixes  every  eye. 
He  is  the  glory  of  any  age  and  of  any  land.  As  an 
intellectual  being,  he  is  eloquent,  thrilling,  command- 
ing, irresistable.  This  letter  makes  me  feel  as  though 
1  had  an  audience  before  me  now  to  address.  He  is 
still  at  this  moment,  but  he  is  not  dead.  He  is  not 
inattentive  to  what  is  going  on  in  political  affairs. 
America  is  his  glory.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  the 
same  feeling  that  Napoleon  had,  he  said  '  I  ask  only 
the  glory  of  France,  but  I  must  give  all —  all  to  her.' 
He  is  graceful  as  a  speaker,  and  a  torrent  in  power. 
He  is  past  the  middle  of  life.  He  is  a  much  better 
man  than  his  adversaries  represent  him.  He  has  the 
good  of  others  at  heart.  He  is  not  a  vain  man,  but 
he  is  proud.  He  is  ambitious,  in  a  good  sense  :  he 
feels  that  he  has  the  power  of  doing  great  good,  and 
is  therefore  anxious  to  do  it :  I  feel  confident  he  is  a 
public  man." 

Question — What  kind,  military  or 'civil? 
,   "  Decidedly  in  civil  life." 

"  He  is  not  in  favor  of  slavery,  yet  is  not  an  aboli- 
tionist. He  would  leave  that  for  those  to  take  care 
of  who  know  most  about  it." 

Question  —  Are  you  sure  it  is  written  by  a  man? 

"  I  am  very  certain.     He  is  sometimes  as  calm  as 


66  Original  Sketch. 

a  child,  and  again  as  terrible  as  a  tiger —  he  has  the 
sagacity  of  a  Franklin,  the  penetration  of  a  Mar- 
shall." 

Qjiestion  —  Whom  of  all  our  public  men  is  he 
most  like  ? 

"  I  should  say  in  answer  to  that,  I  think  the  letter 
must  be  from  DANIEL  WEBSTER." 

It  -was  a  letter  written  by  Daniel  Webster. 

As  a  fair  specimen  of  impartial  description,  I  might 
select  the  account  of  Miss  HARRIET  .MARTINEAU 
(the  authoress),  given  me  by  a  lady,  in  the  experi- 
ment upon  her  autograph. 

" 1  think  it's  a  very  intellectual  person  —  she  is  not 
wanting  in  courage  at  all.  I  feel  that  it  is  a  lady. 
She  has  a  bold,  daring  spirit.  I  feel  that  I  could 
almost  face  the  world.  She  would  always  express 
her  mind  very  freely.  I  think  she  is  a  public  writer, 
and  a  great  talker  too.  She  is  of  a  very  kind,  affec- 
tionate disposition,  always  interested  in  others'  wel- 
fare. You  could  not  but  like  her,  although  she  is  so 
self-satisfied.  She  is  a  lady  of  great  refinement  and 
modesty,  naturally  —  not  modesty  —  that  is  not  the 
word,  I  do  not  know  what  word  I  want.  She  might 
be  very  sarcastic.  If  she  were  going  to  write  of  any 
people,  she  would  cut  them  up  as  bad  as  Dickens. 
She  is  very  resolute.  She  reminds  me  some  of 
Madame  de  Stael,  in  her  intellect  and  boldness." 
[This  lady  had  previously  tried  the  autograph  of 
Madame  de  Stael.] 

Qjiestion  —  Make  the  comparison  between  her  and 
Madame  de  Stael? 

"  Her  intellect  is  like.     She  is  not  as  dictatorial.     I 


Original  Sketch.  67 

should  give  her  a  much  higher  moral  character.  She 
is  strictly  a  moral  woman.  She  is  determined  to 
accomplish  whatever  she  undertakes,  and  therein  she 
is  like  Madame  de  Stael." 

Question  —  How  do  you  compare  her  with  Bulwer? 

"I  do  not  like  to  compare  her  with  Bulwer,  I  think 
her  moral  character  is  superior  to  his.  There  is  not 
so  much  romance  about  her  as  there  is  about  Bulwer, 
she  is  not  a  novelist.  She  is  too  intellectual  for  me, 
it  is  overpowering.  It  gives  me  an  unpleasant  feel- 
ing through  my  head  and  ears.  My  head  feels  so 
tight.  There  is  a  ringing  in  the  ears." 

Question — How  does  it  affect  your  eyesight? 

"I  do  not  notice  any  change." 

Question  —  How  does  it  affect  your  hearing? 

"I  am  not  deaf  now,  but  I  think  I  might  be  if 
under  this  influence  long.  She  is  deaf — I  know  who 
it  is  !  " 

Question — Who  ? 

"I  think  it  is  Miss  Martineau,  I  do  not  know  of 
anybody  else,  that  is -such  a  woman,  and  deaf  too." 


CHAPTEE    IL 

ORIGINAL  SKETCH  OF  PSYCHOMETRY  (CONTINUED), 

Varieties  of  psychometric  experiments  —  Vast  range  of  psychometric 
power,  historic,  biographic,  paleontological  —  Old  manuscripts  —  Prac- 
tical uses,  arbitration,  criminal  investigations  and  detection  —  Pene- 
trating power  —  Liability  to  error  —  Unconscious  modification  by  feel- 
ings—  General  impartiality  —  Overpowering  influence  —  Criticism  of 
self  —  Appreciation  of  the  young  —  Various  descriptions,  John  Quincy 
Adams,  Henry  Clay,  Judge  Rowan,  Gen.  Washington,  W.  E.  Channing, 
Dr.  Harney,  Mad.  de  Stael,  Mrs.  L.  M.  Child,  Booth,  Fulton—  Demon- 
strative character  of  experiments  —  Their  dependence  on  the  autograph 
describing  unknown  autographs  —  Bulwer  —  Accurate  description  of 
three  autographs  —  Description  of  Southern  orators. 

IT  is  only  those  ot  peculiarly  fine,  sensitive  and 
intellectual  endowments,  who  can  grasp,  at  once,  the 
whole  character,  and  speak  of  its  details  with  the 
familiarity  of  thorough  acquaintance.  Generally,  the 
opinion  is  formed,  in  a  gradual  manner,  from  a  care- 
ful study  of  the  impressions,  and  the  character  is 
opened  up  to  the  mind  by  a  consecutive  survey  of  its 
different  relations.  Frequently  the  writer  will  appear 
before  the  mind's  eye  of  the  psychometric  explorer, 
with  a  characteristic  expression  of  countenance  and 
attitude  illustrating  some  trait  of  his  nature,  or  en- 
gaged in  some  characteristic  act;  and,  after  a  time, 
he  will  appear  in  some  other  scene,  equally  character- 
istic, which  has  been  actually  a  scene  in  his  life,  or 
which  is  a  legitimate  illustration  of  his  disposition. 

Oftentimes  the  scenes  which  are  thus  presented  will 

68 


Original  Sketch.  69 

be  highly  picturesque  and  poetical  —  happily  illus- 
trative of  the  true  spirit  of  the  man.  In  trying  several 
autographs  upon  the  head  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  G.,  I  was 
struck  with  several  of  his  picturesque  sketches.  For 
example,  in  portraying  the  Rev.  Mr.  Bascom,  the 
eloquent  Methodist  divine,  who  rose  by  his  own  ener- 
gies from  an  humble  position,  he  said,  that  the  first 
scene  that  rose  to  his  mind  was  an  humble  forest  resi- 
dence —  a  small  clearing  in  the  woods  —  the  kettles 
hanging  over  the  fire  from  forked  sticks  —  a  youth  of 
studious  disposition,  cultivating  his  mind :  then  vari- 
ous transitions  occurred  —  the  country  advanced  in 
cultivation  —  villages  and  cities  sprang  up  —  the  youth 
was  observed  in  other  scenes,  and  soon  became  a 
powerful,  eloquent,  and  universally  admired  orator  of 
the  pulpit.  In  the  autograph  of  the  Rev.  Alexander 
Campbell  (the  religious  reformer),  he  recognized  the 
spirit  of  a  great  leader,  partaking  somewhat  of  the 
traits  of  Washington  and  Lafayette,  speaking  with  a 
different  kind  of  eloquence,  and  amid  scenes  of  sim- 
plicity and  solemnity.  I  placed  my  own  autograph 
upon  his  head,  and  it  produced  the  scene  of  a  leader 
or  adventurer,  marching  on  toward  a  distant  height, 
while  a  multitude  behind  were  looking  upon  his  pro- 
gress, and  as  he  looked  back  he  paused  to  wait  until 
the  foremost  could  overtake  him.  He  appeared  to  be 
covered,  as  to  his  head,  by  a  species  of  Roman  hel- 
met, which  rendered  him  insensible  to  the  missiles 
and  weapons  which  he  expected  to  encounter.  As 
this  was  a  true  statement  of  my  position  at  that  time, 
I  thought  it  a  happy  sketch  ;  for  I  had  slackened  my 
scientific  investigations,  and  was  engaged  in  propa- 


yo  Original  Sketch. 

gating  my  neurological  discoveries,  hoping  that  public 
sentiment  might  be  gradually  brought  a  little  nearer 
to  my  advanced  position  in  science.  But,  in  this  case, 
instead  of  locating  the  scene  far  off  (in  adjoining 
States),  as  in  the  cases  of  Mr.  Campbell  and  Mr. 
Bascom,  he  said  that  all  seemed  to  be  located  in  Cin- 
cinnati ;  and  the  leader,  with  the  helmet,  appeared  as 
if  standing  about  the  summit  of  the  first  hill,  in  reced- 
ing from  the  river.  It  also  seemed  to  him,  that  this 
personage  had  some  connection  with  a  locality  on 
Lower  Market  street.  This  singular  remark  reminded 
me  of  the  fact,  that  the  locality  of  which  he  spoke, 
near  the  Lower  Market,  was,  in  reality,  the  place  of 
my  residence  in  childhood.  The  helmet,  protecting 
the  head  from  attacks,  was  a  good  illustration  of  the 
mental  hardihood,  which  has  made  me  ever  indifferent 
to  the  applause  or  disapprobation  of  mankind.  I  feel 
that  it  is  my  natural  place  —  my  true  vocation  —  to 
advocate  unpopular  truths,  and  to  brave  the  odium 
which  awaits  those  who  ask  the  world  to  mend  its 
ways. 

When  the  psychometric  inquirer  is  less  imaginative, 
the  scene  which  arises  to  the  mind  may  be  rather  a 
matter  of  fact  than  a  fancy  sketch  ;  and  thus,  in  our 
intuitive  conceptions,  we  find  the  sympathetic  percep- 
tion of  character  blending  with  the  phenomena  of 
simple  clairvoyance.  For  example,  I  placed  upon  the 
forehead  of  an  attorney,  in  Mississippi,  the  letter  of  a 
lady  addressed  to  her  husband.  He  immediately  fol- 
lowed the  leading  impression,  and  traced  it  to  her  res- 
idence on  the  Ohio  river,  where  he  observed  the  lady 
and  her  children,  whom  he  described  correctly, 


Original  Sketch.  71 

excepting  as  to  their  sex.  Sometimes  the  personal 
appearance  of  the  writer  will  be  correctly  described, 
without  reference  to  his  situation.  Frequently,  the 
most  important  scenes  through  which  he  has  passed, 
or  which  have  been  most  vividly  impressed  upon  his 
mind  —  or  those  in  the  midst  of  which  he  wrote  —  will 
rise  distinctly  in  view.  Thus  the  letter  of  Lafayette 
recalled  the  battle  of  Germantown  —  the  letter  of 
Washington  Allston  produced  a  beautiful  painting, 
characteristic  of  his  style  —  a  poem,  written  by  Ralph 
Waldo  Emerson,  produced  a  conception  of  the  beau- 
tiful scenery  of  summer,  which  the  poetry  described. 
A  DRAWING  of  a  sea-shore  scene  produced  the  identi- 
cal scene  in  the  mind  of  the  lady  whose  hand  was  in 
contact  with  the  drawing,  unconscious  that  it  was  not 
a  piece  of  writing.  She  was  transported  mentally  to 
the  scene,  and  fancied  she  could  almost  hear  the  hum- 
ming of  the  insects  in  the  air. 

The  material  of  the  writing,  or  the  method  of  con- 
veying the  idea,  is  unimportant.  The  poetry  of 
Emerson,  and  the  drawing  of  the  artist,  equally  con^ 
veyed  the  scenes  which  they  depicted.  It  is  neces- 
sary only  for  the  psychometer  to  come  into  contact 
with  something  upon  which  the  author  has  affixed  the 
stamp  of  his  peculiar  individuality.  A  drawing  or 
painting  will  convey,  as  effectually  as  a  letter,  the 
conception  of  its  author,  and  his  mental  efforts  in  its 
production.  In  thus  exploring  a  portrait  or  a  draw- 
ing, the  psychometer  not  only  obtains  an  idea  of  the 
artist;  but  also'  perceives  the  idea  which  the  artist 
entertained  of  his  subject.  Hence,  by  contact  with  a 
portrait,  he  may 'describe  both  the  artist  and  the  sub- 


72  Original  Sketch. 

ject  of  the  picture.  The  same  principle  is  equally 
applicable  to  autographs.  The  letter  which  conveys 
an  idea  of  its  writer,  may  also  convey  his  idea  of  the 
one  to  whom  he  is  writing,  or  of  the  one  concerning 
whom  he  writes. 

If  then,  man,  in  every  act,  leaves  the  impression, 
or  daguerreotype  of  his  mental  being  upon  the  scenes 
of  his  life  and  subjects  of  his  action,  we  are  by  this 
law  furnished  with  a  new  clue  to  the  history  of  our 
race ;  and  I  think  it  highly  probable,  that,  by  the 
application  of  this  principle,  the  chasms  of  history 
may  be  supplied,  and  a  glimpse  may  be  obtained  of 
unrecorded  ages  and  nations,  whose  early  history  is 
lost  in  darkness.  The  ancient  manuscripts,  paintings, 
and  other  works  of  art,  which  still  exist — the  cruci- 
fixes, garments,  armor,  and  other  ancient  relics,  still 
preserved — are  doubtless  still  instinct  with  the  spirit 
that  produced  them,  and  capable  of  revealing  to  psy- 
chometric exploration,  the  living  realities  with  which 
they  were  once  connected.  At  present,  these  relics 
are  barren  of  significance.  Their  hidden  meaning 
lies  waiting  the  future  explorer,  as  the  hieroglyphics 
of  Egypt  awaited  the  arrival  of  Champollion  to  inter- 
pret their  significance.  And  why  should  not  the 
world  be  filled  with  the  monuments  and  unwritten  re- 
cords of  its  past  history?  It  would  seem,  to  the  super- 
ficial thinker,  that  man  was  entirely  limited  to  tradition 
and  written  records  for  his  knowledge  of  the  past; 
but  physical  science  proves,  that  the  world  possesses, 
embodied  in  enduring  monuments,  the  story  of  its  pro- 
gressive existence.  The  geologist  finds,  in  the  differ- 
ent strata  of  the  earth,  in  its  curiously  mingled  and 


Original  Sketch.  73 

irregular  structure,  and  in  the  fossil  remains  which  it 
conceals  in  its  bosom,  the  history  of  its  various 
changes  of  surface,  and  of  the  antediluvian  races  of 
animals  which  have  long  been  extinct.  The  huge 
Saurian  monsters,  which  he  portrays  from  their  fossil 
relics,  rise  before  the  eye  as  incredible  chimeras.  And 
over  this  fertile  region,  now  occupied  by  prosperous 
States,  he  revives,  by  the  magic  power  of  science,  the 
antediluvian  seas  and  their  strange  inhabitants,  un- 
known to  man. 

The  Past  is  entombed  in  the  Present!  The  world  is 
its  own  enduring  monument ;  and  that  which  is  true 
of  its  physical,  is  likewise  true  of  its  mental  career. 
The  discoveries  of  Psychometry  will  enable  us  to  ex- 
plore the  history  of  man,  as  those  of  geology  enable 
us  to  explore  the  history  of  the  earth.  There  are 
mental  fossils  for  the  psychologist,  as  well  as  mineral 
fossils  for  the  geologist ;  and  I  believe  that,  hereafter, 
the  psychologist  and  the  geologist  will  go  hand  in 
hand  —  the  one  portraying  the  earth,  its  animals  and 
its  vegetation,  while  the  other  portrays  the  human  be- 
ings who  have  roamed  over  its  surface  in  the  shadows 
and  darkness  of  primeval  barbarism  !  Aye,  the  men- 
tal telescope  is  now  discovered,  which  may  pierce  the 
depths  of  the  past  and  bring  us  in  full  view  of  all  the 
grand  and  tragic  passages  of  ancient  history  !  I  know 
that,  to  many  of  my  readers,  unaccustomed  to  these 
investigations,  and  unacquainted  with  the  first  experi- 
mental facts  of  this  great  science,  these  anticipations 
must  seem  a  visionary  hope  —  too  grand,  too  roman- 
tic, too  transcendently  beautiful,  to  be  true.  But 
observe,  that  all  is  based  upon  familiar  experiments, 


74  Original  Sketch. 

and  these  results  are  but  legitimate  deductions  from 
familiar  facts.  As  surely  as  the  expansive  power  of 
steam  gives  premonition  of  the  ocean  steamship,  does 
the  power  of  Psychometry  give  promise  of  all  the 
glorious  performance  to  which  I  have  alluded.  The 
world,  although  well  acquinted  with  the  expansive 
power  of  steam,  laughed  atRumsey,  Fitch  and  Ful- 
ton, when  they  were  constructing  steamboats  :  and 
when  they  were  careering  proudly  over  our  "  inland 
seas,"  the  idea  of  crossing  the  ocean  in  -a  steamship 
was  pronounced  impracticable,  by  men  of  science,  up 
to  the  very  time  of  its  consummation.  How  timidly 
do  we  shrink  from  following  an  established  principle 
to  its  legitimate  results  ! 

Does  not  every  psychometric  experiment  demon- 
strate an  indefinite  range  of  the  intuitive  power  ?  The 
psychometer  is  not  limited  to  a  perception  of  the 
thoughts  of  the  writer  at  the  moment,  but  appreciates 
his  entire  being  —  enters  into  his  emotions  —  his  rela- 
tions to  society,  and  his  past  history.  Aye,  in  many 
instances,  the  whole  career  of  the  individual  is  opened 
out  before  the  observer,  and  he  traces  that  career  from 
childhood  to  death.  Let  us  apply  this  principle. 
Could  we  obtain  any  authentic  relics  of  Julius  Caesar, 
of  Cicero,  of  Plutarch  —  of  Pericles,  Plato,  or  Solon 
—  of  Alfred  the  Great,  Confucius,  or  Mohammed  — 
the  ancient  writings  of  the  Hindoos,  or  the  hiero- 
glyphics of  Egypt  —  and  could  we  from  these  evoke 
the  pictures  of  the  past,  as  we  do  from  an  ordinary 
manuscript,  how  thrilling  would  be  the  interest  with 
which  we  should  listen  to  this  resurrection  of  lost 
history ! 


Original  Sketch.  75 

Why  should  this  be  impossible  ?  Does  the  mental 
impression  attached  to  a  manuscript  ever  evaporate,  or 
become  effaced  ?  Does  the  old  manuscript  cease  to  be 
legible  to  psychometric  power  when  a  certain  num- 
ber of  years  have  elapsed?  It  may  be,  that  there  are 
certain  limits  to  these  experiments,  or  certain  difficul- 
ties in  the  way  of  their  extension,  but  I  have  not  yet 
found  any  manuscript  so  old  as  to  be  beyond  the 
reach  of  this  method  of  exploration.  The  autographs 
of  Franklin,  Washington,  Jefferson,  Burr,  Knox, 
Schuyler,  and  others  of  the  Revolution,  gave  prompt 
and  distinct  impressions.  The  oldest  manuscript 
which  I  have  subjected  to  such  investigations,  was 
that  of  a  clergyman  of  the  Church  of  England,  in 
which  the  characters  were  so  antiquated  in  style,  as 
to  render  it  very  difficult  to  decipher.  This  letter, 
dated  in  1637,  appeared  to  be  a  solemn  protest  or  re- 
monstrance against  some  arbitrary  exercise  of  power 
by  his  Bishop,  which  he  regarded  as  an  encroach- 
ment upon  his  religious  principles  and  rights.  When 
this  manuscript  was  placed  upon  the  forehead  of 
Judge  T.,  he  perceived  in  it  a  deep  feeling  of  gloom, 
and  described  it  as  being  such  a  feeling  as  might  have 
been  entertained  by  a  patriot,  in  the  dark  hours  of 
our  Revolution — by  a  physician,  during  the  preval- 
ence of  yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia  —  or  by  a  protes- 
tant,  in  the  time  of  the  persecution  of  the  protestants 
by  Qjieen  Mary.  He  described  the  writer  as  a  man 
of  deep  feelings  and  affections  —  of  strong  intellect 
and  of  eloquence  —  inclined  to  meditate  upon  a  future 
life,  and  to  adopt  the  pursuits  of  a  clergyman  —  dis- 
posed to  resist  injustice,  but  to  curb  himself  by  relig- 


76  Original  Sketch. 

ious  principles  —  as  being  a  man  about  forty  or  fifty 
years  of  age,  and  existing  at  some  period  not  very 
recent.  The  Judge  possessed  no  decided  capacity  for 
locating  his  impressions  as  to  place  or  time.  But 
others,  with  a  better  development  of  Locality  and 
Time,  have  attained  considerable  precision.  Major 
P.,  who  had  been  a  great  woodsman  and  traveler, 
appeared  to  decide  with  but  little  difficulty,  when  ex- 
ploring a  letter,  from  what  section  of  the  country  it 
had  been  written. 

Since,  then,  there  is  no  limit  to  the  accuracy  or 
extent  of  our  preceptions,  but  that  which  arises  from 
the  imperfect  development  of  our  faculties,  it  is 
impossible  to  set  any  bounds  to  the  future  explora- 
tions of  gifted  individuals.  In  these  days,  so  rapidly 
are  our  anticipations  realized,  and  sanguine  hopes 
converted  into  accomplished  facts,  that  I  cannot 
refrain  from  thus  predicting  the  future  range  of 
psychometric  power,  however  extravagant  the  pre- 
diction may  seem  to  a  portion  of  my  readers.  If 
there  are  any  who  cannot  {it  all  digest  these  predic- 
tions, let  them  lay  aside,  upon  their  shelves,  Vol.  I 
of  the  Journal  of  Man,  that  it  may  improve  like  a 
bottle  of  wine,  by  age  ;  and  when  they  have  grown 
old,  with  a  mind  expanded  by  a  wider  experience  of 
the  progress  of  knowledge,  let  them  re-peruse  the 
old  volume  and  compare  its  prophecy  with  the  living 
verification. 

But,  it  may  be  asked  by  the  practical  man,  cannot 
this  power  be  applied  to  the  daily  purposes  of  life,  as 
well  as  to  the  exploration  of  history?  Why  should 
it  not  assist  our  inquiries  into  the  guilt  or  innocence 


Original  Sketch.  77 

of  those  who  are  arraigned  before  our  courts  of  law? 
I  know  no  reason  why  it  should  not.  Indeed,  I  have 
no  doubt  that,  with  the  proper  means  and  arrange- 
ments for  the  investigation  of  character,  a  scientific 
tribunal  for  the  decision  of  all  controversies  between 
man  and  man  might  be  established,  which  would 
come  much  nearer  to  exact  justice  than  we  can  pos- 
sibly reach,  by  our  present  cumbrous  judicial  system 
and  laws  of  evidence.  To  propose  such  a  tribunal 
would,  at  the  present  time,  be  premature ;  but  there 
is  no  reason  why  the  science  should  not  contribute 
its  light  to  elucidate  any  obscure  facts,  or  traits  of 
character,  which  may  have  a  bearing  on  the  case  that 
is  tried.  If  the  jury,  and  the  public  generally,  were 
aware  of  the  power  of  Psychometry,  the  statement  of 
the  results  of  a  psychometric  investigation,  under 
proper  circumstances,  would  have  a  decisive  influence 
upon  their  opinion  ;  and  such  a  statement,  from  com- 
petent persons,  might  be  admitted  upon  the  same 
principle  that  the  testimony  of  medical  men  is  often 
demanded,  in  cases  of  homicide,  lunacy,  etc.,  to 
assist  in  determining  the  facts  by  means  of  the 
resources  of  science.  I  have  no  doubt  that  this  kind 
of  testimony  will  be  introduced  into  courts,  after  the 
principles  of  Psychometry  have  become  generally 
known  and  established.  In  the  delicate  class  of 
cases  arising  from  the  charge  of  lunacy,  as  well 
as  in  those  involving  high  crimes,  there  are  no 
methods  of  exploration  which  can  compare  with 
Psychometry,  as  to  the  power  of  ascertaining -the 
truth  or  falsehood  of  the  charges.  I  do  not  mean 
that  every  psychometric  experiment  should  be  taken 


^8  Original  Sketch. 

as  oracular,  but  that,  when  a  sufficient  amount  of 
intellect  and  caution  are  exercised  in  the  investiga- 
tion, the  results  are  accurately  true. 

If  the  individual  accused  of  crime,  or  lunacy,  has 
written  a  number  of  letters  during  the  period 
embraced  bv  the  accusation,  his  mind  may  be 
traced  through  all  the  phases  of  excitement  to 
which  it  was  subjected,  and  the  truth  or  falsehood 
of  the  charge  clearly  ascertained. 

A  letter,  written  by  a  clergyman  confined  in  the 
penitentiary,  was  submitted  to  my  investigation. 
The  various  degrees  of  guilt,  indiscretion,  melan- 
choly, contrition  and  anxiety  which  it  revealed, 
formed  an  interesting  subject  for  study.  Soon 
afterward  the  man  was  pardoned.  The  discre- 
tionary exercise  of  this  pardoning  power  is  a  task 
of  no  little  delicacy  and  difficulty  —  liable  to  great 
abuses  —  while  the  arbitrary  periods  of  confinement, 
fixed  by  law,  have  little  reference  to  the  proper 
aim  of  punishment — the  reformation  of  the  crimi- 
nal. If  the  term  of  confinement  were  made  indefi- 
nite, and  determinable  by  the  moral  condition  of 
the  prisoner,  then  the  observation  of  his  conduct, 
and  the  psychometric  scrutiny  of  his  character,  might 
determine  when,  with  safety  to  society,  he  could  be 
released  from  prison,  or  how  much  more  he  needed 
of  its  reformatory  influence. 

As  to  the  detection  of  crime  by  this  means,  there 
have  been  some  instances  recently,  in  the  United 
States,  of  the  detection  of  crime  by  means  of  clair- 
voyance ;  and  about  two  hundred  years  ago,  an 
humble  peasant,  in  France,  exercised  the  same 


Original  Sketch.  79 

power  of  which  I  speak,  and  in  the  same  manner. 
He  visited  the  spot  where  the  murder  had  been  com- 
mitted, and  when  he  came  upon  the  ground,  or 
touched  the  instrument  with  which  the  deed  had 
been  performed,  he  was  greatly  agitated  by  the 
impression  which  was  imparted.  By  means  of  this 
impression,  he  acquired  an  idea  of  the  murderers  and 
their  movements,  seized  upon  their  trail  and  pursued 
them  from  house  to  house,  and  from  village  to  vil- 
lage, until  he  actually  found*  them.  The  wonderful 
performances  of  this  man  were  attested  by  magis- 
trates and  physicians,  in  a  public  manner,  and  were 
matters  of  so  much  public  notoriety  at  the  time,  as  to 
cause  him  to  be  presented  at  the  court  of  Louis  XIV. 
The  establishment  and  use  of  such  powers,  for  the 
discovery  of  innocence  and  guilt,  will  have  a  most 
salutary  influence  upon  society.  I  do  not  mean  to 
suggest,  that  any  testimony  of  this  kind  should  be 
introduced  upon  the  same  authoritative  footing  as  the 
oath  of  a  citizen,  in  reference  to  any  matter  which  he 
has  witnessed,  but  merely,  that  the  indications  and 
authority  of  science  should  be  appealed  to  upon  this, 
as  upon  any  other  subject.  I  do  not  propose  any  new 
statute  upon  the  subject,  or  any  departure  from  our 
present  legal  usages.  I  merely  suggest,  that  when 
Psychometry  shall  take  its  place  among  established 
sciences,  it  will,  of  course,  be  recognized  with  the 
same  degree  of  respect  as  other  branches  of  knowl- 
edge which  appertain  to  the  medical  profession  :  and, 
as  the  physician  is  at  present  appealed  to,  in  a  case  of 
homicide,  to  determine  the  probable  cause  of  death, 
and  the  possibility  of  its  having  been  caused  by  acci- 


8o  Original  Sketch. 

dent,  or  by  the  violence  of  the  prisoner — so,  when 
his  range  of  professional  knowledge  is  increased,  he 
will  testify  from  the  evidence,  not  only  of  surgery, 
anatomy,  chemistry  and  toxicology,  but  also  from 
Psychometry.  At  the  present  time,  an  intelligent 
physician  would  seldom  testify  upon  the  subject  of 
insanity,  without  bringing  into  play  the  knowledge 
derived  from  phrenological  science,  or  any  other 
source  which  might  be  accessible.  When  I  have  been 
called  upon  to  testify  upon  the  charge  of  insanity,  in 
court,  my  professional  knowledge  was  appealed  to, 
without  any  reference  to  its  source  ;  and  I,  of  course, 
testified  upon  the  principles  of  neurological  science, 
which  affords  the  only  satisfactory  explanation  of 
insanity  that  has  ever  yet  been  given. 

Thus  will  Psychometry,  or  any  other  science  which 
may  be  capable  of  throwing  light  upon  the  matters 
before  the  court,  be  brought  to  bear  by  men  of 
science,  or  other  witnesses,  whenever  the  soundness 
and  authenticity  of  such  knowledge  is  generally 
admitted.  In  the  mean  time,  those  who  dread  all 
changes,  need  be  under  no  apprehension,  as  the 
change  in  question  can  only  take  place  when  it  has 
been  sanctioned  by  the  general  sentiment  of  men  of 
science. 

The  knowledge  of  such  an  improvement,  in  our 
methods  of  studying  mankind,  will  have  a  powerful 
influence  in  checking  crime.  The  temptation  to 
crime  arises  from  the  hope  of  security  and  escape. 
But  when  the  criminal  knows  that  the  Argus-eyes  of 
his  fellow-beings  are  capable  of  tracing  him  through 
all  the  devious  ways  of  his  life  —  when  he  knows  that 


Original  Sketch.  81 

his  secret  acts,  his  criminal  designs  and  attempts,  all 
lie  bare  before  the  spiritual  eye  of  man  —  he  will  find 
himself  compelled  to  abandon  his  crimes.  When  thus 
society,  with  all-seeing  but  benevolent  eyes,  superin- 
tends his  movements,  and  with  its  millions  of  strong 
arms  reaches  forth  to  lead  him  back  into  paths  of 
peace  and  virtue,  there  will  be  an  end  of  the  high 
crimes  that  now  disgrace  our  people. 

The  recognition  and  general  cultivation  of  Psy- 
chometry,  when  among  the  millions  of  psychometric 
seers  there  will  be  men  of  the  highest  order  of  genius, 
talent  and  wisdom,  will  fully  realize  these  hopes.  The 
introduction  of  this  science  will  operate  like  the  intro- 
duction of  brilliant  gas  lights  into  the  dark  and  crime 
haunted  streets  and  alleys  of  a  populous  city.  The 
crimes  which  previously  revelled  in  security,  will  be 
compelled  to  retreat  from  the  luminous  thoroughfare. 

Not  only  will  the  criminal  be  held  in  check,  but  all 
of  us  will  feel  the  monitory  and  restraining  influence 
of  this  knowledge.  When  we  know  that,  in  every 
act  of  our  lives,  we  are  tracing  a  biography  which 
may  be  read  by  a  thousand  eyes  —  when  we  know 
that  it  is  utterly  impossible  to  be  selfish  or  vicious  and 
conceal  the  fact — when  we  know  that  it  is  utterly 
impossible  to  gain  credit  for  virtue,  without  having  it 
in  our  inmost  nature  —  and  that  if  we  do  cherish  noble 
sentiments,  they  will  not  be  concealed  from  the  eyes 
of  those  whom  we  respect — when  we  know,  in  short, 
that  we  shall  appear  to  others,  in  all  things,  as  we 
really  arc — many  will  wake  up  from  their  hollow  and 
hypocritical  life  to  the  cultivation  of  real  virtue ;  and 
all  will  feel,  in  their  private  lives,  the  same  restrain- 


82  Original  Sketch. 

ing,  yet  elevating  influence  which  is  produced  by  the 
presence  of  a  good  friend,  before  whom  we  are 
ashamed  to  indulge  any  little  exhibition  of  a  selfish  or 
a  petulant  spirit. 

It  is  true,  the  passion  ot  secretiveness  may  at  first 
rebel  against  such  anticipations  ;  but  this  passion,  the 
source  of  hypocrisy,  lying,  false  modesty,  Jealous 
reserve,  deceit,  moroseness  and  treachery,  has  too 
long  ruled  and  corrupted  mankind.  The  truly  frank 
and  virtuous  man  feels  that  there  is  not  an  act  of  his 
life  which  he  would  fear  to  have  exhibited  in  the  eyes 
of  the  universe ;  and  he  who  from  a  guilty  shame 
recoils,  or,  from  the  pure  love  of  mystery,  regards 
concealment  as  one  of  his  highest  privileges,  must  be 
expected  to  cherish  the  old  system  of  mystery,  and  to 
protest  against  phrenology,  physiognomy,  psychom- 
etry,  and  every  other  road  to  the  knowledge  of  human 
nature.  To  such  objectors  I  would  simply  remark, 
that  men  will  always  be  eager  to  form  opinions  of 
their  fellows ;  and,  whether  right  or  wrong,  these 
opinions  will  be  current  in  society,  and  will  form  the 
basis  of  our  action.  The  question,  therefore,  is, 
whether  we  shall  have  vague  notions,  prejudices,  slan- 
ders, and  idle  gossip,  or  whether  we  shall  have  the 
just,  systematic,  and  charitable  knowledge  of  our  fel- 
low-man, to  which  we  are  conducted  by  science. 

Yet  I  would  by  no  means  sanction  the  idea,  that 
psychometric  investigations  will  always  lead  to 
accurate  results,  or  may  not  be  abused  and  per- 
verted. As  law,  medicine,  divinity,  phrenology, 
etc.,  have  all  their  quackeries  or  perversions,  so 
will  Psychometry,  in  the  hands  of  the  ignorant,  the 


Original  Sketch.  $3 

unprincipled,  the  prejudiced,  and  the  reckless.  A 
psychometric  opinion  may  be  as  calm,  dispassionate 
and  pure  as  the  thoughts  of  an  angel,  or  it  may  be 
influenced  by  all  the  emotions  of  love  or  hate,  of 
reverence  or  scorn,  which  influence  our  ordinary 
judgments.  In  pronouncing  upon  the  characters  of 
our  distinguished  politicians,  Mr.  Clay,  Mr.  Cal- 
houn,  and  Gen'L  Jackson,  I  have  often  found  the 
psychometer  as  decidedly  biassed  in  favor  of  one, 
or  against  another,  as  if  he  knew  of  whom  he  was 
speaking.  Soon  after  the  battles  of  Palo  Alto  and 
Resaca  de  la  Palma,  I  was  traveling  upon  the  Mis- 
sissippi, and  fell  in  company  with  an  accomplished 
lady,  the  wife  of  one  of  the  officers,  who  had  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  service.  We  were  trying 
several  psychometric  experiments,  when  one  of  her 
friends  privately  handed  me  a  letter,  written  by  her 
husband  from  the  camp,  immediately  after  those 
memorable  battles.  I  had  already  observed,  that 
her  impressions  wrere  unusually  dependent  upon  her 
feelings,  and  that  she  would,  in  all  cases,  as  she 
liked  or  disliked  the  character,  elevate  or  condemn 
it  in  her  description.  I  placed  her  husband's  letter 
upon  her  forehead,  and  immediately  she  manifested 
a  lively  agitation  of  her  feelings.  Her  bosom  heaved 
with  the  intensity  of  her  emotions  —  tears  came  into 
her  eyes  —  and  she  was  herself  amazed  at  the  tumult 
of  feeling  produced.  Yet  she  declared  the  impres- 
sions to  be  more  delightful  than  any  she  had  yet 
experienced.  She  was  peculiarly  charmed  with  the 
character,  and  when,  being  a  little  more  composed, 
she  was  asked  to  give  her  opinion,  she  exclaimed, 


84  Original  Sketch. 

"  Oh,  he  is  the  very  soul  of  honor !  "  She  then  went 
on,  in  a  very  full  description  :  stated  'that  he  was  a 
military  man  —  that  he  was  very  fond  of  hunting  — 
that  he  was  popular  in  his  manners  —  a  good  writer 

—  occupying  a  rank  below  that  of  Colonel,  etc.,  etc., 

—  in  short,  gave  a  description,  which,  making  some 
slight  allowance  for  a  wife's  partiality,  was  certainly 
very  correct. 

The  fact,  that  such  emotions  should  have  been 
called  forth  as  vividly  as  if  she  had  been  in  actual 
mental  intercourse  with  her  husband,  when  she  was 
utterly  unconscious  of  their  cause,  demonstrates  the 
necessity  of  caution  in  all  such  investigations.  But 
it  demonstrates  something  important,  in  reference  to 
the  laws  of  mental  association,  which  may  be  illus- 
trated also  by  another  experiment.  I  placed  in  the 
hands  of  an  impressible  lady,  a  letter  from  her  father, 
who  was  dead,  and  for  whom  her  grief  had  not  yet 
been  removed.  In  a  few  moments,  as  she  com- 
menced speaking  of  the  character,  a  deep  sadness 
came  upon  her;  unconscious  of  its  cause,  her  eyes 
filled  with  tears,  and  I  removed  the  letter  without 
letting  her  know  its  source,  although  she  continued 
for  some  days  exceedingly  curious  to  know  what 
could  possibly  have  called  forth  her  emotions  so 
stron<dv  while  holding  that  letter. 

o  ./  o 

Thus,  it  appears  that  there  are  deep  currents  of 
feeling,  which  flow  beneath  the  surface,  without 
entering  into  the  daylight  of  consciousness.  In  these 
subterranean  streams  of  emotion  (to  borrow  the 
language  of  poets)  heart  vspeaks  to  heart ;  and  the 
magic  ties  which  bind  us  together  in  love,  are  formed 


Original  Sketch.  85 

in  the   darker  chambers  of  the  soul,  where   reason, 
reflection  and  observation,  have  no  place. 

It  is  not  true,  therefore,  that  intellect  is  the  sole 
medium  of  association.  Feelings  are  linked  to  feel- 
ings, and  one  emotion  arouses  another,  without  our 
consciousness  or  consent.  It  is  not  through  the 
understanding  that  the  orator  calls  forth  the  passions 
of  his  audience.  Strong  feeling  magnetically  rouses 
and  moves  all  within  its  sphere,  whether  there  may 
or  may  not  be  any  sentence  uttered,  which  is  worthy 
of  being  read. 

This  mental  magnetism  may  exert  its  influence 
upon  psychometric  investigations,  but  will  be  far  less 
delusive  in  them,  than  in  the  ordinary  intercourse  of 
mankind.  The  character  investigated  becomes,  in 
such  cases,  a  passive  subject  of  scrutiny,  and  not  an 
active  party  to  the  process,  and  is  thus  disabled  from 
overawing  or  controlling  the  psychometer.  An  intel- 
ligent and  amiable  lady  of  Boston,  when  scrutinizing 
the  autograph  of  a  distinguished  public  man  —  a  man 
of  science  (no  longer  living),  who  enjoyed  an  exag- 
gerated reputation  during  his  life  —  described  his 
powers  and  his  influence  upon  the  public  mind, 
with  great  correctness,  but  perceived  that  there  \vas 
a  certain  lack  of  soundness  in  the  character/  and  that 
he  would  be  apt  to  pass  for  a  better  man  than  he 
really  was.  She  remarked,  that  there  was  some- 
thing imposing  in  his  appearance  and  talents,  and 
that  many  would  be  imposed  upon  by  his  exterior, 
so  as  to  estimate  him  much  higher  than  he  deserved. 

O 

I  asked  her,  how  she  supposed  it  would  have  been 
with   herself;    whether,    if   she    had    seen   him,    she 


86  Original  Sketch. 

would  have  discovered  his  true  character,  or  have 
been  carried  away,  like  the  rest,  by  his  exterior 
appearances.  After  a  little  reflection,  she  replied, 
that  she  would,  probably,  have  been  carried  away, 
like  the  rest,  and  joined  in  their  admiration.  1  then 
gave  her  the  name,  and  she  found  that  it  was  even 
so ;  it  was  the  name  of  one  whom  she  had  been 
accustomed  to  revere,  and  whose  faults  she  had  never 
before  suspected,  although  they  were  known  to  the 
discerning  few.  Thus,  the  same  individual  mani- 
fested, in  a  psychometric  decision,  a  much  greater 
acumen  and  power  of  conceiving  character,  than  in 
her  ordinary  social  observation.  And,  although  the 
partialities  of  friendship  may  occasionally  interfere 
with  the  correctness  of  the  decision,  I  have  often 
found  the  psychometer  capable  of  pronouncing,  with 
perfect  impartiality,  upon  the  characters  of  intimate 
friends. 

It  is  necessary,  of  course,  that  he  should  have  a 
predominance  of  the  intellect  over  the  feelings,  and 
should  have  sufficient  self-control  to  resist  the  excit- 
ing influence  of  the  letter.  A  lady  of  vigorous  and 
well-cultivated  intellect,  but  of  very  delicate  physical 
constitution,  who  had  fine  psychometric  powers,  was, 
nevertheless,  so  sympathetic  and  excitable,  as  to  be 
sometimes  completely  carried  away  by  the  influence 
of  the  character  which  she  described,  and  lose  all 
self-control. 

The  autograph  of  Mr.  Clay,  especially,  produced 
this  influence  upon  her.  She  soon  became  so  pos- 
sessed of  its  spirit,  as  to  feel  herself  a  distinguished 
public  character,  engaged  in  matters  of  great 


Original  Sketch.  87 

moment ;  and,  forgetting  entirely  the  experiment, 
she  replied  haughtily  to  the  questions  which  I  pro- 
posed, as  though  she  considered  them  quite  imperti- 
nent or  insulting. 

When  we  are  so  fortunate  as  to  meet  with  an  indi- 
vidual who  is  perfectly  clear-sighted,  impartial,  self- 
possessed,  and  accurate  in  judgment  —  and  when  we 
have  tested  his  powers  in  various  investigations,  it 
will  be  interesting  to  submit  our  own  manuscript  to  his 
critical  examination.  It  is  so  seldom  that  we  find  even 
a  friend  disposed  to  analyze  our  character,  and  set 
forth,  distinctly,  our  virtues  and  our  faults,  that  it  is  no 
mean  luxury  to  be  able  to  hear,  from  a  good  psycho- 
meter,  a  full  and  free  analysis  of  ourselves,  without 
fear,  favor  or  prejudice ;  and  thus  be  assigned  our 
true  place  in  the  great  scale  of  human  character, 
while  he  who  decides  upon  our  merits  is  utterly  un- 
conscious who  may  be  the  subject  of  his  decision. 
He  who  delights  in  the  luxury  of  plain,  unvarnished 
truth,  may  thus  be  fully  satisfied.  He  who  is  aiming 
to  perfect  himself  in  every  trait  of  character,  will  find, 
in  the  searching  yet  genial  criticism  of  Psychometry, 
the  assistance  which  he  needs  —  the  mirror  in  which 
to  scan  his  own  countenance. 

It  is  probable  that  no  one  has  ever  attained  a  high 
perfection  of  character —  has  developed,  properly,  the 
strength  and  beauty  oi  his  nature  —  without  often 
undergoing  the  searching  scrutiny  of  his  own  con- 
science, taste  and  judgment,  to  ascertain  his  defici- 
ences,  and  learn  what  additional  power  was  needed. 
It  is  only  by  patient  study,  and  unwearying  attention 
to  details,  that  the  artist  is  enabled  to  produce  a 


88  Original  Sketch. 


statue  which  may  be  admired.  Equally  careful  and 
minute  is  the  critical  examination  which  we  must 
give  ourselves,  if  we  would  attain  any  high  moral 
excellence.  In  the  rude  block  of  marble,  which  rep- 
resents the  character  of  an  uncultivated  human 
being,  a  beautiful  statue  lies  concealed,  which  the 
gifted  and  untiring  artist  will  bring  into  view.  But 
the  beautiful  form  of  the  noble  character  can  be 
brought  out  only  by  this  critical  process,  and  there 
are  no  means  within  our  reach  more  truly  efficient  in 
criticism  than  Psychometry. 

To  form  and  reform  the  character  —  to  build  up  the 
strength  of  our  moral  and  intellectual  nature  —  and  to 
advance  continually  in  all  that  is  worthy  of  esteem, 
are  the  noblest  aims  of  life.  He  who  has  no  such  as- 
pirations, has  not  the  true  spirit,  either  of  philosophy 
or  of  religion.  Goodness  and  greatness  are  ever  pro- 
gressive qualities.  Each  act  of  kindness  enlarges  the 
heart,  confirms  our  virtue,  and  lends  additional  beauty 
to  the  countenance  —  additional  sweetness  to  the 
voice.  Each  act  of  intellectual  power  adds  to  our 
treasury  of  knowledge,  and  enlarges  our  range  of 
thought. 

Moral  and  intellectual  growth  should  be  the  great 
aim  of  life  ;  and,  although  the  prevalent  teachings  of 
the  day  are  poorly  adapted  to  urge  and  guide  this 
growth,  he  who  has  the  assistance  of  Psychometry, 
may  find  th'e  means  of  discharging  his  first  great  duty 
to  himself. 

From  the  extent  of  the  subject,  I  must  deal  in  hints, 
rather  than  explanations  —  in  sentences  instead  of 
essays.  I  must  leave  to  the  ingenious  reader,  who 


Original  Sketch.  89 

engages  in  these  experiments,  to  ascertain  the  best 
methods  of  scrutinizing  himself —  noting  his  own  de- 
fects, and  applying  the  appropriate  correction  indi- 
cated by  Neurology.  I  might  narrate  a  portion  of 
my  own  experience  in  self-scrutiny,  and  in  application 
of  science  to  personal  improvement ;  but,  notwith- 
standing the  examples  of  Rousseau  and  Lamartine,  I 
should  find  it  rather  difficult  to  lay  aside  that  feeling 
of  personal  reserve,  which  is  common  wherever  the 
English  language  is  spoken,  and  which  induces  us  to 
shrink  from  presenting,  before  the  public,  trivial  de- 
tails which  relate  merely  to  self.  But,  I  can  assure 
the  reader,  this  study  of  self  is  most  intensely  interest- 
ing, since  it  is  through  self-consciousness  that  we 
obtain  the  most  thorough  knowledge  of  mental  phil- 
osophy, and  all  our  studies  of  this  subject  become 
practical  lessons  in  virtue  and  happiness. 

Self-education,  guided  by  self-study,  is  the  great 
duty  of  human  life.  For  the  young,  who  are  not  yet 
competent  to  self-study  and  self-amendment,  this  duty 
must  be  performed  by  others.  To  understand,  prop- 
erly, the  immature  characters  of  youth,  and  the  suc- 
cessive course  of  their  development  —  to  appreciate 
their  diversities,  and  estimate  their  latent  powers  — 
require  not  merely  craniology,  physiognomy,  and  per- 
sonal intercourse,  but  the  sympathetic  and  delicate 
powers  of  Psychometry.  This  enables  us  to  under- 
stand a  character  differing  widely  from  our  own,  and 
to  appreciate  the  peculiarities  of  each,  in  reference  to 
an  exact  scientific  standard.  All  who  have  assidu- 
ously cultivated  themselves,  know  how  greatly  their 
own  characters  and  mental  powers  would  have  been 


90  Original  Sketch. 

improved,  if  their  early  education  had  been  guided  by 
persons  who  possessed  this  delicate  appreciation  of 
character,  and  who  could  judiciously  supply  each 
defect,  until  the  whole  was  formed  into  symmetry. 

A  good  psychometer  possesses  a  sympathetic  per- 
ception, which  enables  him  to  conceive  a  character 
very  foreign  to  his  own,  and  even  to  appreciate  the 
capacities  and  unfolding  powers  of  a  child.  It  is  pos- 
sible that,  by  the  proper  exercise  of  this  power,  the 
whole  career  and  probable  vices,  as  well  as  physical 
infirmities  of  the  child,  may  be  so  fully  anticipated  as 
to  enable  us  effectually  to  prevent  any  serious  evil 
affecting  the  moral  character  or  physical  constitution. 

But  these  diagnostic  examinations  will  be  practiced 
principally  by  means  of  direct  contact  with  the  head, 
learning  from  each  organ  its  exact  condition.  This 
method,  which  is  similar  in  principle  to  the  experi- 
ments upon  autographs,  may  be  appropriately  referred 
to  the  essays  upon  Sympathetic  Diagnosis  and  Ner- 
vous Impressibility. 

For  the  practical  illustration  of  Psychometry,  I 
have  selected,  from  the  records  of  a  number'  of 
experiments,  the  following  reports.  The  opinions 
given  were,  in  all  cases,  pronounced  with  impartiality 
by  an  individual  who  had  no  knowledge  whatever  of 
the  manuscript  from  which  he  derived  his  impres- 
sions. Great  care  was  taken,  in  all  cases,  that  the 
psychometer  should  have  no  opportunity,  by  seeing 
the  manuscript  or  hearing  any  conversation  about  it, 
of  forming  any  idea  that  could  bias  his  conclusions. 
Equal  care  was  taken  not  to  propose  any  question 
which,  by  its  leading  character,  might  modify  his 


Original  Sketch.  91 

opinions.  He  was  thrown  upon  his  own  resources 
and  perceptions  for  the  conclusions  which  he  should 
express. 

The  reader  will  make  due  allowances  for  the 
imperfection  of  an  opinion  formed  an4  expressed  in 
the  course  of  a  few  minutes,  by  means  of  an  impres- 
sion derived  from  a  single  autograph.  The  various 
phases  which  any  character  may  present  on  different 
occasions  —  the  difficulty  of  appreciating  any  one  so 
fully  as  to  describe  his  conduct  under  any  emergency 

—  and  the  difficulty  of  perfectly  portraying  our  con- 
ception of  the  character,  even  when  rightly  conceived 

—  should  induce  us  to  regard  with  great  liberality 
any  attempt  to  describe  a  character  by  means  of  such 
impressions. 

It  is  necessary,  too,  that  we  bear  in  mind  the  dif- 
ferent mental  positions  from  which  each  surveys  the 
character,  and  the  different  degrees  of  facility  with 
which  the  same  traits  of  character  would  be  recog- 
nized by  different  individuals.  In  the  following 
reports,  the  character  of  JOHN  QUINCY  ADAMS  is 
given  by  a  clergyman  much  disposed  to  admire  such 
a  character,  and  to  express  himself  in  glowing  lan- 
guage. The  opinions  pronounced  on  Mr.  Clay,  by 
three  individuals,  illustrate  their  differences  of  char- 
acter. Mr.  S.,  a  well  educated  young  gentleman 
from  the  North,  of  mild,  well  balanced  character, 
gives  a  judicious,  moderate  statement;  Mrs.  R.,  a 
lady  of  much  ambition  and  force  of  character,  with 
a  good  deal  of  philanthropy  and  radicalism,  gives  a 
bold,  emphatic  and  critical  sketch;  Mrs.  W.,  a  lady 
of  remarkable  gentleness  and  amiability,  accustomed 


92  Original  Sketch. 

to  think  well  of  all,  is  quite  enchanted  with  her 
impressions  of  Mr.  Clay,  and  finds  him  a  much 
better  man  than  she  had  previously  supposed  from 
the  opinions  which,  as  an  abolitionist,  she  had 
formed. 

There  is  much  more  fullness  and  life  in  the  por- 
traits, when  the  psychometer  has  a  proper  s}'mpathy 
with  the  subject  of  his  investigation.  In  the  sketch 
of  Dr.  Charming,  by  Miss  P. —  of  Dr.  Harney,  by 
F.  R.,  and  of  Miss  Martineau,  by  Miss  N.,  we  per- 
ceive this  cordial  appreciation. 

The  following  reports  are  not  presented  as  extra- 
ordinary examples  of  accurate  portraiture,  or 
remarkable  success  of  experiments,  but  rather  as 
fair  illustrations  of  what  might  be  expected,  under 
ordinary  circumstances,  with  intelligent  persons. 
They  are  given,  not  as  decisions  upon  the  char- 
acters of  the  parties,  but  as  specimens  of  the  new 
method  of  investigation  —  a  method  requiring  repe- 
tition and  caution  to  conduct  to  accurate  results. 

The  reports  are  given  as  accurately  as  possible  in 
the  language  of  the  speakers,  as  written  down  during 
the  experiments.  Many  of  the  reports,  from  the 
freedom  of  their  comments,  or  for  other  reasons,  I 
should  not  consider  suitable  for  publication,  however 
interesting  in  private.  Without  pledging  myself,  or 
urging  my  readers  to  any  undue  reliance  upon  any 
single  experiment,  I  would  still  attach  much  value  to 
biich  opinions,  when  all  the  circumstances  are  duly 
weighed. 

JOHN  QJJINCY  ADAMS  —  by  Rev.  Mr.  K.,  1844. 

After  describing  the  influence  proceeding  from  the 


Original  Sketch.  93 

contact  of  the  letter  in  his  hands,  Mr.  K.  continued  : 
"  I  find  no  disposition  to  mirthfulness.  It  is  a  serious 
character.  I  should  say,  he  is  deeply  absorbed  ii? 
great  subjects,  and  very  rarely  has  a  smile  upon  his 
face.  It  is  one  whose  whole  mental  energy  and 
tenor  of  his  thoughts  are  all  given  to  the  advance- 
ment of  the  happiness,  welfare,  freedom  and  pros- 
perity of  his  country.  I  use  the  word  COUNTRY 
emphatically,  because  such  a  mind  cannot  be 
engrossed  or  much  affected  by  trifling  or  personal 
objects.  It  is  a  patriot,  a  statesman,  a  Christian,  a 
benefactor  of  man,  and  one  who  will  leave  a  deep, 
a  very  deep,  impression"  on  the  human  mind  and 
history.  He  is  in  public  life,  decidedly.  He  would 
be  a  man  others  would  call  forth  and  confide  in.  He 
would  be  true  to  every,  trust.  He  has  a  religious 
conscience.  Decidedly  he  is  not  a  political  dema- 
gogue. He  is  rather  of  a  phlegmatic  character  — 
has  a  solid  intellect  rather  than  showy.  He  is  past 
the  middle  of  life  :  the  whole  influence  is  weaken- 
ing." 

"  His  caution  would  produce  suspicion  of  him. 
He  would  be  vigilant,  decided,  firm,  prudent,  not 
passionate  ;  ready  to  listen  to  all  objections,  a  very 
keen  observer  of  men,  understands  human  nature 
thoroughly,  would  not  allow  self-interest  to  influence 
him,  would  be  firm  with  opponents,  sure  that  he  was 
right  and  would  go  straight  forward.  Do  not  think 
he  was  eloquent,  a  man  of  few  words  and  every 
word  a  bullet,  to  the  point.  He  would  not  fight  a 
duel." 

"  He  has  a  good  intellect,  a  well  balanced   char- 


94  Original  Sketch. 

acter,  is  excitable  and  deeply  moved  by  everything 
which  might  aim  a  blow  at  free  institutions,  both 
literary  and  political.  I  do  not  think  he  is  a  poet,  he 
is  lacking  in  the  spirit  of  poetry.  He  has  literary 
power ;  every  subject  would  be  finely  treated ;  but 
he  would  not  show  the  fire  of  genius," 

"  He  is  against  everything  disorganizing.  He 
would  harmonize  and  be  drawn  to  men  anxious  for 
the  security  and  permanence  of  our  whole  country. 
He  is  decidedly  a  whig.  He  is  a  perfect  gentleman 
of  the  old  school." 

"  He  has  a  great  deal  of  the  character  of  JOHN 
QJJINCY  ADAMS,  more  of  John  Adams  —  do  not 
think  his  intellect  equal  to  my  conception  of  Webster. 
Such  men  as  he  and  Clay  would  be  glad  to  counsel 
together.  He  has  the  intellect  of  Calhoun ;  he  has 
a  broader  reach  of  vision.  He  has  such  traits  of 
character  as  belong  to  John  Quincy  Adams,  John 
Adams,  John  Davis,  Judge  Marshall,  Judge  Parsons 
and  Judge  Shaw. 

HENRY  CLAY  — by  W.  B.  S.,  1846. 

(Q^  How  does  it  affect  you?)  "It  is  very 
agreeable,  very  bracing  in  its  effects,  makes  me  a 
little  dizzy  0" 

"  He  is  a  man  of  very  clear  intellect,  and  rather  a 
commanding  one,  quite  warm  in  his  feelings,  and 
very  earnest  in  whatever  he  undertakes  to  express. 
I  suppose  he  is  a  politician,  it's  natural  he  should  be 
one  —  not  a  minister  —  not  a  literary  man  by  profes- 
sion ;  but  has  a  good  mind  and  likes  to  use  it,  to 
keep  it  actively  employed.  I  don't  think  he  has  a 
gloomy  character.  He  is  rather  pleasant  in  his  dis- 


Original  Sketch.  95 

position.  His  manners  and  personal  appearance  are 
easy,  polite  and  graceful,  elegant  in  delivery,  chooses 
his  language  with  taste,  but  is  forcible  —  is  a  man  of 
fine  feelings  and  sentiments,  although  not  a  member 
of  the  church.  He  would  not  be  guilty  of  anything 
low  or  base,  he  has  a  high  sense  of  honor,  is  affable 
to  all,  is  an  eloquent  speaker,  not  the  most  profound, 
an  eloquent  one,  agreeable  at  least.  In  his  domestic 
relations,  happy  and  pleasant  under  ordinary  circum- 
stances. His  affections  are  strong,  he  is  kind  and 
benevolent." 

(What  sphere  of  life  does  he  occupy?)  "  I  sup- 
pose he  occupies  an  elevated  sphere,  probably  in 
political  life." 

(What  would  his  reputation  be?)  "  He  would  be 
a  popular  man ;  he  might  have  enemies,  but  they 
would  recognize  his  good  qualities.  He  is  a  man  of 
passion  and  feeling  ;  it  might  have  led  him  into  some 
excesses  and  youthful  follies  ;  may  have  been  wild ; 
nothing  low  or  mean." 

(What  is  his  greatest  fault?)  "  His  character  is 
generally  good,  seems  to  have  great  confidence  in  his 
own  opinion,  but  is  open  to  advice  ;  business  qualities 
not  very  great,  acquisitiveness  not  large.  (What 
kind  of  business  is  he  interested  in?)  In  politics. 
(Does  he  live  in  town  or  country?)  There  is  an 
impression  that  this  letter  is  written  by  a  prominent 
political  character — an  image  of  a  country  house 
arises." 

HENRY  CLAY  —  by  Mrs.  R.,  1844.  Impressions 
derived  from  a  letter  addressed  to  a  committee. 

"  In  person,  he  is  above  the  common  size,  and  in 


96  Original  Sketch. 

talents  above  mediocrity.  He  has  a  good  moral 
character,  above  mediocrity,  being  hopeful,  conscien- 
tious, patriotic,  honorable  and  benevolent.  I  do  not 
mean  that  kind  of  benevolence  which  prompts  per- 
sons to  give  alms  to  the  poor  —  it  is  a  benevolent, 
philanthropic  feeling,  shown  in  his  desire  to 
ameliorate  the  condition  of  man.  He  has  moral 
ambition,  but  he  has  a  good  degree  of  love  of 
power,  and  secretiveness.  He  would  be  what  I 
would  call  a  good  wire-puller,  and  would  make 
others  act  for  him.  He  has  both  kinds  of  ambition, 
and  wants  to  be  very  high.  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
self-esteem  in  it.  He  wants  to  be  considered  not 
only  a  great  man,  but  a  good  man.  I  am  under  a 
good  deal  of  restraint,  as  to  speaking  of  the  plans  — 
take  oft'  a  little  secretiveness  and  I  will  talk  to  you." 

I  touched  her  head  on  the  appropriate  organs  to  re- 
lieve her,  when  she  continued  :  "You  have  relieved 
me  from  a  load.  His  ambition  is  to  be  the  great  man 
of  the  nation.  He  carries  it  out  in  law-giving  and 
advice-giving  —  in  speaking  to  people  and  telling 
them  what-  ought  to  be  and  what  he  would  do  for 
them.  He  is  a  great  planner.  He  has  a  good  deal 
of  perception  and  foresight.  His  private  intercourse 
is  honorable  ;  he  is  agreeable  in  his  circle.  He  exerts 
a  great  deal  of  influence  upon  those  with  whom  he 
comes  into  contact,  more  in  private  circles  than  in  pub- 
lic. He  is  liable  to  misleading  his  friends,  because 
his  judgment  is  not  sound  at  all  times,  not  being  so 
good  as  his  oft-hand  perceptions." 

"  He  is  well-fitted  for  a  counsellor  or  governor  of  a 
state  or  a  large  institution.  He  is  better  fitted  to  direct 


Original  Sketch.  97 

than  to  carry  out.  He  would  make  a  better  general 
than  officer  or  soldier,  and  would  exert  a  powerful  in- 
fluence over  his  men  ;  they  would  reverence  him  and 
have  great  confidence  in  him.  He  would  exert  great 
influence  in  the  political  world,  and  make  others  do  the 
work  for  him." 

"  His  capacities  would  be  great  as  a  statesman,  but 
equally  great  as  an  orator,  or  as  a  jurist ;  but  the  ca- 
pacity of  the  orator  is  most  developed.  He  has  a 
great  flow  of  language,  is  pointed,  uses- a  variety  of 
gestures  and  has  a  great  deal  of  artificial  or  acquired 
eloquence.  Sometimes  there  is  a  great  burst  of  feel- 
ing, which  carries  his  audience  away.  He  is  a  great 
observer  of  how  his  audience  take  his  oratory,  and 
takes  advantage  of  the  impressions  he  creates  in 
speaking.  His  best  field  is  before  a  mixed  mass,  a 
very  large  audience  ;  a  small  circle  is  not  enough  for 
his  ambition,  he  has  all  the  talent  necessary  to  make 
the  mass  consider  him  a  great  man.  His  ambition 
finds  more  food  on  such  occasions." 

"  He  is  a  man  of  ardent  temperament  and  irritable 
passions,  but  can  control  his  temper.  Naturally  he  is 
very  passionate  and  irritable  ;  habitually,  he  can  be 
calm,  placid  and  pleasing.  In  public  speaking  he  has 
both  the  passionate  and  the  pleasing." 

"  He  has  more  fondness  for  high  living  than  he 
ought  to  have.  I  am  sure  he  has  never  joined  the 
temperance  society,  and  expect  he  never  will.  He 
has  religious  feelings  and  yet  he  would  be  profane ; 
he  has  a  contradictory  character.  The  worst  that  can 
be  said  of  him  is  that  he  is  secretive,  ambitious,  pas- 
sionate and  intemperate.  He  takes  a  little  too  much 


98  Original  Sketch. 

drink.  (Q^.  Of  what  kind?)  Not  very  particular 
as  to  kind  or  quality." 

"  He  is  not  selfish,  beyond  ambition  and  love  of 
power ;  not  selfish  as  to  pecuniary  affairs  ;  he  wrould 
not  stoop  to  do  a  mean  act  for  pecuniary  advantage. 
My  head  is  tight  here,  as  if  the  brain  was  about  to 
burst  the  skull." 

"He  has  coarse  and  violent  passions,  but  he  has 
well  trained  faculties  to  hide  them.  He  is  a  coarse 
man,  with  a  very  polished  exterior — like  a  beautiful 
painting  on  a  coarse  canvas.  Yet  he  would  be  a  good 
husband,  father  or  relation,  and^would  be  rather  gen- 
erous to  servants,  so  they  would  even  like  him,  but 
would  sometimes  be  passionate  with  them.  He  would 
make  them  love  him  and  fear  him." 

"The  leading  motives  of  his  life  are  mixed;  they 
are  ambition  mixed  with  a  good  deal  of  patriotism  and 
philanthropy.  The  worst  parts  of  his  character  would 
be  very  little  seen  or  known.  Upon  the  whole  the 
influence  ot  his  public  life  would  be  good  ;  he  would 
be  considered  a  great  man.  It  seems  to  me  he  is  alive 
and  somewhere  about  seventy  years  of  age,  or  within 
five  years." 

HENRY  CLAY — by  Mrs.  W.,  1844. 

' '  It  is  a  person  I  like  —  there  is  something  very 
clear,  bright.  It's  a  person  that  thinks  a  great  deal 
—  that  I  should  have  perfect  confidence  in;  he  is  a 
very  happy  person,  it  gives  me  a  happy  feeling." 

(We  wish  to  know  his  character?)  "  I  should  give 
him  a  very  high  character  indeed.  It's  a  person  of  a 
great  deal  of  energy,  of  very  cultivated  mind,  great 
strength  of  character,  firmness.  Is  n't  he  very 


Original  Sketch.  99 

straight,  very  upright?  He  is  upright !  He  is  a  man 
of  a  great  deal  of  benevolence,  upright  in  all  his  deal- 
ings, fair ;  he  can  face  any  one.  I  feel  a  stronger 
impression  from  it  than  from  any  letter  I  ever  took. 
I  have  not  language  to  express  it.  I  seem  to  feel  all 
at  once  just  what  he  is.  He  deserves  to  fill  a  very 
high  office,  he  is  very  clear,  he  resembles  you  in  that 
respect  —  he  can  decide  anything  very  quickly,  he  is 
a  noble  man.  He  has  great  power  of  expressing  his 
ideas.  Is  he  a  speaker  —  a  public  speaker?  If  he 
is,  he  's  very  eloquent.  You  have  no  idea  what  an 
effect  it  has  upon  me,  it  gives  me  such  a  brightness. 
I  should  think  he  would  be  a  delightful  companion,  a 
general  favorite.  If  I  am  not  reading  him  true,  none 
of  them  can  be  true,  for  I  feel  this  quicker  altogether, 
the  whole  character,  right  oft'.  It  is  a  good  character 
altogether,  he  is  so  noble  in  his  nature.  His  princi- 
ples are  high ;  his  standard,  his  aim,  is  high.  He 
would  be  ready  to  answer  anything,  to  decide  any- 
thing quickly.  He  is  so  very  clear,  he  would  answer 
readily.  He  is  a  person  that  would  do  a  great  deal 
of  good  in  whatever  situation.  He  is  a  person  of  ele- 
gant, agreeable  manners,  pleasing  to  every  one.  I 
should  think  he  was,  as  I  said  before,  a  great  favorite. 
I  am  perfectly  delighted  with  him.  If  it  is  n't  some- 
body that 's  splendid,  I  '11  be  dreadfully  disappointed." 

"  If  you  '11  ask  me  some  questions,  I  '11  be  ready  to 
answer  them.  His  spirit  is  in  me." 

(What  are  his  pursuits?)  "  He  is  a  public  charac- 
ter. I  should  think  a  speaker  or  writer ;  at  any  rate, 
something  public.  As  far  as  I  know  what  a  president 
ought  to  be,  I  think  he  's  just  the  man.  I  would  cer- 


IOO  Original  Sketch. 

tainly  make  him  President,  if  I  was  the  only  person  to 
be  consulted.  I  receive  a  decided  impression  from 
this  letter.  I  never  felt  it  so  very  strong.  If  I  only 
had  language,  I  couldn't  stop  talking —  he  must  talk 
a  great  deal." 

(What  kind  of  speaker  is  he?)  "  There  would  be 
perfect  stillness  when  he  is  speaking.  I  Ve  said  be- 
fore, that  he  is  very  eloquent.  I  think  he  'd  interest  a 
large  public  audience.  I  think  he  's  a  favorite  speaker 
-brilliant." 

(What  are  his  aims  in  life?)  "  His  aims  are  high, 
as  I  said  before.  I  should  think  he  's  a  very  witty 
man  —  very  lively  in  disposition.  He 's  very  unsel- 
fish ;  he  aims  rather  to  do  others  good  than  himself." 

(As  to  temper,  what  do  you  say?)  "  I  think  he  's 
irritable  and  quick,  but  he  has  an  excellent  disposi- 
tion :  he  governs  this  temper  very  well,  but  he  's  very 
quick  naturally  ;  he  's  very  excitable  —  very  candid." 

(Can  you  compare  him  with  any  other  characters?) 
"  I  Ve  compared  him  with  you  in  the  clearness  of  his 
ideas.  He  has  this  great  strength  of  character  and 
energy  ;  he  is  not  depressed  in  spirit,  as  most  people 
are,  who  have  such  an  intellect  as  he  has.  He  is 
smiling  ;  his  feelings  are  ardent  and  lasting,  true  and 
earnest —  he  do  n't  do  any  thing  half-way.  I  have  an 
idea  of  his  eloquence  and  intellect  —  his  strength  be- 
ing like  Daniel  Webster  —  but  Webster  is  not  so  smil- 
ing and  cheerful.  I  would  like  to  feel  always  such 
strength  and  energy  as  I  have  now." 

(Is  there  no  one  else  but  Webster,  whom  you  can 
compare  him  to?)  "There's  a  great  deal  of  firm- 
ness ;  he  's  a  great  thinker.  I  do  n't  think  ;  I  can't 


Original  Sketch.  ::>  101 

compare  him,  I  have  too  poor  a  memory  —  can't  call 
up  any  body  so  as  to  compare  him.  He  's  a  great 
man.  1  don't  know  any  body  that  he's  like,  alto- 
gether." 

(I  wish  you  to  find  some  fault?)  "  What  is  that 
[touching  the  region  of  affection]  ?  I  feel  a  great 
heat  there.  He  has  great  fondness  .for  a  country  life 
—  for  the  beauties  of  nature.  Who  is  this?  The 
faults  do  n't  come  to  me  ;  he  's  very  quick  tempered. \ 

(How  would  this  person  compare  with  Mr.  Clay?) 
"  He  's  a  better  man  than  I  thought  Mr.  Clay  was.  I 
shouldn't  think  such  a  person  would  keep  slaves. 
This  person  seems  more  noble  and  elegant  in  his  man- 
ners than  I  supposed  Mr.  Clay  to  be." 

JUDGE  ROWAN,  by  G.  C.,  Esq.  Impressions  de- 
rived from  a  political  manuscript. 

"  A  sedate  character,  dignified,  elevated — no  taste 
for  levity.  There  is  a  love  of  investigation  — ^a  love 
of  order  and  arrangment  in  investigations,  as  well  as 
in  other  things.  This  person,  as  a  lawyer  or  politi- 
cian, would  endeavor  to  convince  by  the  most  familiar 
and  plain  arguments.  He  would  be  powerful  in  de- 
bate, cogent  in  argument,  and  plain  in  his  inductions 
and  explanations.  (What  of  his  pursuits?)  His 
mind  is  accustomed  to  legal  investigations,  and 
adapted  to  political.  I  think  both,  at  times,  had  en- 
gaged his  serious  attention.  (What  is  his  rank  as  a 
lawyer?)  Very  high  as  a  reasoner ;  he  would  stand 
first  as  among  the  most  talented.  He  is  not  without 
very  strong  feelings,  and  has  power  to  appeal  to  the 
passions.  Yet  declamation  was  not  his  habit.  But 
he  would  arouse .  the  feelings  powerfully  by  the 


IO2  Original  Sketch* 

strength  of  his  perceptions  and  force  of  elucidation ; 
the  passions  would  follow  the  judgment,  and  both 
would  be  aroused." 

(What  as  a  politician?)  "  He  would  exert  his  rea- 
soning faculties,  and  attain  a  very  high  rank.  His 
mind  would  be  better  adapted  to  the  Senate  than  to 
the  House  of  Representatives.  I  should  think  he  had 
been  in  both,  but  preferred  the  Senate.  (What  of  his 
manners?)  They  are  bland  and  dignified.  (Domes- 
tic character?)  Very  fine,  kind,  affable  and  digni- 
fied, not  harsh.  (As  to  females?)  Most  refined  and 
elevated ;  he  would  have  friends  among  them ;  they 
would  like,  respect  and  venerate  him.  (Is  he  living, 
or  dead?)  He  is  dead.  (To  whom  would  you  com- 
pare him?)  I  have  an  impression  that  his  mind  is  of 
the  model  of  Judge  Rowan's.  (How  is  he  as  to  par- 
ties?) He  would  analyze  their  principles,  and  act 
freely  with  that  which  he  thought  correct ;  he  would 
not  be  led  by  either  party  into  advocacy  of  principles 
he  did  not  believe  correct.  He  is  an  honest  politician. 
He  would  not  leave  his  party,  but  would  not  act  with 
the  party  when  he  thought  them  wrong.  He  would 
be  the  peer  of  any  man  as  a  statesman  or  a  lawyer." 

Judge  T.,  in  giving  his  impressions  from  the  auto- 
graph of  Judge  Rowan,  described  him  as,  in  per- 
sonal appearance,  somewhat  such  a  man  as  Webster 
—  large,  dignified,  etc.  ;  a  calm,  deep-thinking,  pure- 
minded  man,  of  far-reaching  intellect,  great  pride, 
honor  and  honesty — a  democrat  in  politics,  but  not 
carried  away  by  party ;  a  man  of  great  depth  of 
feeling,  who  would  be  "overwhelming"  in  elo- 
quence when  his  feelings  were  aroused.  In  giving 


Original  Sketch.  103 

this  opinion,  the  Judge  himself,  a  very  calm,  methodi- 
cal man,  recognized,  readily,  the  legal  ability  and 
moral  elevation,  but  did  not  perceive  the  capacity  as 
a  speaker,  until  after  some  reflection.  Not  only  the 
character  of  the  psychometer,  but  the  character  ot 
the  autograph,  is  important  as  to  the  interest  of 
the  opinion  pronounced.  The  psychometer  partakes 
of  the  character  of  the  writer,  and  modifies  his  style 
accordingly.  The  most  eloquent  and  beautiful 
opinions  which  I  have  ever  recorded,  were  pro- 
nounced upon  the  autograph  of  Judge  Rowan,  by 
a  young  lawyer  of  the  South,  and  a  lady,  who  made 
their  investigation  in  conjunction,  and  expressed 
similar  opinions  in  glowing  language. 

MILITARY  HEROES  —  May,  1846. —  A  letter  on 
public  business,  relating  to  the  war,  written  by  a 
distinguished  old  General,  was  placed  upon  the  fore- 
head of  F.  R.,  a  young  gentleman  of  education  and 
talent.  His  remarks  were:  "I  feel  pleasant,  self- 
satisfied  —  it  excites  the  occiput  and  crown  of  the 
head  —  I  could  make  a  good  fighting  man.  now.  I 
would  like  to  see  it  going  on.  I  feel  older  than  I 
was  just  now,  feel  like  an  old  man,  in  fact  —  yet 
1  feel  tha  same  disposition  to  see  fighting  going  on. 
I  know  who  it  is,  from  my  feelings  —  it  is  General 

— .  There  is  no  use  guessing  any  more 

about  it." 

Having  thus  truly  detected  the  authorship  of  the 
letter,  with  so  much  certainty,  that  he  refused  to  say 
anything  more,  I  next  placed  upon  his  forehead  an 
autograph  from  GENERAL  WASHINGTON,  he  imme- 
diately proceeded,  as  follows  : 


104  Original  Sketch. 

"  I  feel  a  greater  sensation  in  the  perceptive  organs 
over  the  eyes,  a  swelling  of  the  nostrils  and  a  feeling 
of  defiance ,  I  should  judge  he  was  a  man  of  intel- 
lect. Certainly,  when  he  took  a  course,  he  would 
pursue  it  to  the  end.  Nothing  can  alter  his  deter- 
mination, neither  persuasion  nor  force." 

(Q^.  What  pursuits  and  sphere  of  life  is  he  fit 
for?) 

"  For  a  statesman  —  bold,  independent  and  straight- 
forward. He  would  make  a  good  soldier,  too,  if  he 
had  opportunity  —  a  good  commanding  officer,  who 
could  plan  well  and  perceive  advantages.  (What  of 
his  moral  character?)  He  is  a  great  man.  He  has 
a  great  deal  of  what  I  call  force.  (How  does  he 
compare  with  other  men?)  He  has  a  great  deal  more 
force  —  greatly  excels  them  in  power  —  he  is  still 
planning,  but  on  a  larger  scale  —  he  thinks  more 
profoundly,  acts  from  greater  motives  and  on  a  large 
scale.  He  is  superior  to  the  ordinary  run  of  great 
men  —  might  be  estimated  among  the  first  class  —  a 
much  greater  man  than  Jackson,  because  he  had 
more  intellect,  but  he  would  resemble  him  in  torce  of 
character.  I  feel  the  excitement  extending  back  from 
the  perceptive  over  the  moral  organs  and  crown  of 
the  head.  I  consider  him  a  great  patriot  —  a  man 
of  great  justice  —  let  justice  be  done  though  the 
heavens  fall." 

(What  is  his  appearance?)  "Tall,  commanding, 
he  would  look  more  like  my  idea  of  GEORGE  WASH- 
INGTON, than  any  one  else." 

REV.  W.  E.  CHANNING  — by  Miss  S.  W. 

"  I  feel  perfectly  calm.  I  have  a  burning  heat  in 
my  forehead,  across  the  middle  of  it." 


Original  Sketch.  105 

"  I  don't  think  the  person  is  in  perfect  health.  He 
is  not  very  strong,  physically  —  he  had  more  strength 
of  mind  than  body.  He  understands  himself  very 
well.  He  would  be  a  good  abolitionist  —  he  would 
say  :  Freedom  for  all  mankind.  I  think  he's  very 
warm,  generous-hearted.  I  think  he  is  entirely 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  others  —  he  is  self-sacri- 
iicing  —  he  would  deny  himself  comforts  for  the 
benefit  'of  others.  Isn't  he  engaged  in  the  anti- 
slavery  cause?  —  it  seems  to  me  he  is.  He'll  be  a 
true  friend  to  the  slave.  It  seems  to  me  he  is  a 
public  lecturer,  or  something  of  that  sort.  It  is 
a  person  I  should  be  willing  to  trust  myself  with. 
I  could  rely  upon  his  word ;  he  has  good  judgment 
-  he  is  not  excitable  —  you  would  always  know  just 
where  to  find  him.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  romance 
about  him.  He  is  a  great  lover  of  nature  —  he  would 
be  very  fond  of  poetry.  He  might  write  it ;  he  has 
great  strength  of  sentiment.  I  don't  think  he's  known 
as  a  poet,  but  I  think  he  can  write  poetry,  very  sweet 
and  beautiful.  He  has  beautiful  ideas,  and  expresses 
them  beautifully.  I  think  he  must  be  subject  to  fits  of 
melancholy.  I  feel  sad.  He  was  a  man  of  tender 
feelings,  easily  wounded.  I  would  like  him  right 
well." 

REV.  W.  E.  CHANNING — by  Miss  P.,  January, 
1844. 

"  Another  sadness  affects  me  —  but  it  is  not  a  moral 
sadness,  but  a  holy,  tender  feeling.  It  deepens  the 
other,  contrasting  the  two  men  —  not  much  physical 
force.  I  feel  strength  to  bear  the  ills  of  life  —  not  a 
strength  to  fight  the  battles,  but  a  soaring  above  them 


106  Original  Sketch. 

—  so  high  that  they  cannot  reach  me.  This  person 
would  be  considered  a  sort  of  abstraction  by  many. 
Some  of  his  friends  feel  provoked  that  he  does  not 
make  more  of  a  stir;  they  are  ambitious  for  him,  but 
he  knows  best  what  is  his  soul's  good.  They  are  pro- 
voked at  the  very  things  for  which  they  should  re- 
vere him.  He  is  spiritual.  His  choice  would  be 
private  life ;  but,  circumstances  would  call  him  some- 
what into  public.  I  think  he  might  be  a  clergyman 

—  he  has  moral  courage.     He  would  not  be  practical 
enough  to  take   an  active  part  in  the  reforms  of  the 
day,  but  he  would  aid  them  by  writing.     Those  writ- 
ing might  not  be  sought  after  by  the  generality  — 
might  be   tedious   to   many.     He  writes   deeply  —  a 
merely  receptive  mind,  without  much  activity,  would 
not  profit  much  by  them  —  must  be  in  a  similar  state 
to  his  to  get  at  what  he  says.    An  appreciation  of  true 
wit  —  a  contempt  for  vain  attempts  —  would  have   a 
strange  joy  in  what  the  unappreciating  might  call  his 
vagaries  —  '  He  has  meat  to  eat  which  they  know  not 
of.'   He  is  fitted  for  another  sphere  of  existence  —  too 
sublimated  for  this.  .  I  reverence  him  —  should  feel 
his  lighest  word  —  it  would  dwell  on  my  ear,  and  if  I 
did  not  then  understand,  the  means  would  come  when 
I  was  prepared.     The  form  of  his  sentences  would  be 
peculiar.    Appreciates  the  fine  arts  —  loves  poetry  — 
sonnets,   perhaps.     He  loves  philosophy.     He  cares 
for  society  differently  from  most.     He  is  an  observer 

—  a  thinker.    His  internal  activity  is  great.    He  would 
hear  beautiful  music  —  internal  harmonies  —  lives  an 
inward  life.     He  would  not  seek  the  society  of  the 
great,  but  of  those  who  live  more  naturally.     He  is  a 


Original  Sketch.  107 

dark-haired  person  —  is  not  selfish,  but  so  lost  in  his 
thought,  as  not  to  regard  the  comforts  of  others.  His 
mind  wears  out  his  body.  Better  for  him  if  his 
thoughts  were  less  occupied  —  if  he  had  to  make  more 
physical  exertion.  He  makes  me  feel  brighter,  hap- 
pier, stronger." 

DR.  J.  M.  HARNEY,  of  Kentucky,  author  of  Chrys- 
tallina,  etc.,  was  a  man  of  decided  poetical  genius. 

He  was  described  as  follows  by  F.  R.,  1846. 

"  I  am  impressed  with  the  gorgeous  beauties  of  na- 
ture.: lofty  mountains  —  lovely  landscapes  —  tumultu- 
ous ocean.  Nature  appears  in  her  most  lovely  pan- 
oply ;  my  mind  is  on  the  mountain,  the  billowy 
ocean  the  valley,  the  distant  city.  I  'm  in  the  coun- 
try. A  feeling  of  the  sublime  impels  me  to  contem- 
plate Deity  through  his  works.  It  is  the  sunshine  of 
poetic  feeling  —  nothing  morbid.  No  disposition  to 
speculate  on  man.  I  'm  far  from  the  city,  in  the 
country.  I  feel  as  Coleridge  in  the  vale  of  Cham- 
ouni,  except  that  I  see  the  ocean.  I  have  the  feelings 
of  Byron  in  the  Alps,  except  that  I  see  no  thunder 
and  lightning." 

"  I  think  the  writer  has  little  of  the  epic  —  is  not 
like  Pope ;  he  has  the  inspiration  derived  from  the 
beauties  of  nature.  He  has  a  vein  of  chaste  and  del- 
icate sentiment.  He  resembles  Byron ;  he  has  more 
of  the  fire  of  poetry  than  Goldsmith.  He  is  very 
much  like  Scott,  but  there  is  more  softness.  He  has 
less  philosophy  than  Shelley.  He  has  a  vein  of  sen- 
timent :  he  is,  perhaps,  nearer  to  Bryant,  than  any  I 
can  perceive.  He  has  originality,  but  not  much  in- 
vention. He  is  evidently  a  literary  man,  of  taste  for 
elegant  literature  and  history. 


io8  Original  Sketch. 

MADAME  DE  STAEL  — by  Miss  S.  W. 

(What  do  you  think  of  this  person?)  "  I  should 
think  it  is  a  person  of  very  high  intellect,  indeed. 
(Male  or  female?)  It  does  not  seem  to  be  a  male; 
but  if  it  is  a  female,  it  is  a  very  uncommon  person. 
If  it 's  a  female,  she  is  very  masculine." 

(Give  me  a  positive  answer.)  I  think  it 's  a  female  ; 
she  's  a  tremendous  thinker.  It  is  a  very  haughty 
person  —  very  dictatorial ;  there  is  very  great  strength 
of  mind.  She  is  very  fearless,  indeed.  She  'd  make 
a  good  president,  or  a  good  queen  :  any  one  would 
fear  her,  yet  would  respect  her.  Everything  that  she 
said  would  be  law.  I  wouldn't  dare  disobey." 

(What  are  her  chief  aims?)  "  She's  a  great 
writer  —  a  very  powerful  woman." 

(What  of  her  moral  character?)  "  I  should  think 
more  of  her  mind  —  her  intellect  —  than  of  her  morals. 
She  is  a  very  hard  person  to  understand.  She 
wouldn't  condescend  to  notice  common  people.  I 
do  n't  think  she  's  remarkably  conscientious.  I  do  n't 
think  there  's  any  spirituality  about  her,  at  all.  She 
thinks  too  much  of  worldly  things.  Her  mind  is 
wholly  upon  literary  pursuits  —  nothing  else.  I  think 
she's  sincere.  She  might  be  rather  satirical.  She  'd 
tell  you  just  what  she  thought,  whether  you  liked  it 
or  not.  She  is  dignified,  retiring,  cold,  distant.  I 
never  could  get  acquainted  with  her ;  I  never  should 
try  to.  Every  body  would  respect  her  —  every  body 
would  want  to  know  her  —  very  few  would  take  any 
step  toward  intimacy  with  her.  It  seems  as  though 
my  head  would  burst  with  thinking.  She  would  think 
a  great  deal  oi  having  a  high  reputation  ;  she  desires 
fame  ;  she  's  not  very  easily  excited. " 


Original  Sketch.  109 

(What  is  her  reputation?)  "  She  is  by  no  means  a 
cypher  in  the  world's  estimation.  She  has  a  high 
reputation.  She  is  deserving  of  it." 

(Is  she  living,  or  dead?)  kt  I  can't  tell.  She  never 
thought  of  death.  I  .can  only  think  of  her  in  the 
world.  I'm  in  doubt  about  it.  (Why?)  I  don't 
like  to  think  of  her  as  being  dead.  She  would  die 
like  a  hero  —  she  would  n't  be  afraid  to  die." 

(Can  you  say  any  thing  more  of  her  moral  charac- 
ter?) "  There  seems  to  be  a  vein  of  selfishness.  She 
would  do  good  when  it  came  in  her  way,  but  would 
not  put  herself  to  any  inconvenience.  She  would  not 
be  self-sacrificing.  I  should  not  fancy  her  in  the 
domestic  sphere.  She  might  be  harsh,  jealous,  iras- 
cible." 

(What  sort  of  wife?)  "  Not  affectionate  —  deter- 
mined to  rule." 

(Is  she  American  or  foreign?)  "  I  think  she  is  a 
foreigner  ;  certainly  a  most  manly  personage." 

(What  is  the  style  of  her  writings?)  "  There  would 
be  a  great  deal  of  vehemence  and  loftiness :  noble, 
rather  pompous  —  no,  not  so  much  in  writing  as  in 
common  conversation.  Her  thoughts  are  perfectly 
natural ;  she  writes  without  restraint.  I  can  see  her 
pen  fly.  I  never  knew  such  a  woman ;  there's  no- 
body on  earth  I  can  think  of,  that  seems  like  her." 

(Can  you  compare  her  to  any  one?)  "  No  ;  I  can 
compare  her  to  some  I  have  read  of  in  novels,  to  Ma 
chere  Mere,  in  '  the  Neighbors,'  one  of  those  mascu- 
line women." 

(You  can't  say  whether  she  's  living  or  dead?)  "  I 
think  she  's  dead.  (Why?)  I  do  n't  know  ;  I  don't 


HO  Original  Sketch. 

like  to  think  of  her  as  dead.  There  's  nothing  heav- 
enly about  her.  She  's  better  fitted  for  this  world, 
than  for  that  holier  sphere.  She  's  not  so  moral  as 
she  ought  to  be  ;  she  has  some  morality  without  any 
religion." 

(Have  you  heard  of  Madame  de  Stael?  "  Yes- 
(How  would  the  character  suit  her?)  I  think  it  is 
her  —  yes,  I  know  it  is." 

MRS.  L.  M.  CHILD  —  by  Bishop  Otey. 

"It  seems  to  be  sprightly,  witty,  humorous  —  a 
laughing  girl,  full  of  social  feeling.  Her  sprightli- 
ness  -covers  up  a  deep  religious  feeling.  She  would 
like  to  make  sport  for  her  friends,  but  there  is  nothing 
malicious  about  it.  She  has  great  philanthropy.  She 
would  be  deeply  interested  in  the  sublime  objects  of 
Nature  —  has  a  great  relish  for  such  things.  She 
would  be  seriously  interested  in  music  and  the  fine 
arts.  Her  animal  spirits  are  great,  but  she  would 
not  jest  upon  sacred  subjects  —  in  such  matters  she 
is  very  sincere.  She  possesses  very  superior  powers 
of  mind,  which  would  enable  her  to  fill  a  wide  space 
in  the  public  eye,  but  does  not  seem  to  have  the 
ambition  for  such  distinction." 

BOOTH,  THE  ACTOR  —  by  Miss  S.  W.,  1844. 

44  More  excitement  than  Miss  Martineau.  It  makes 
me  tremble.  I  don't  think  it's  very  intellectual.  I 
should  think  he  might  be  rather  wild  —  one  of  those 
ranters.  He's  very  active,  very  bold  —  rather 
haughty.  Why,  what  is  he  !  He  would  like  to 
make  a  good  appearance  in  the  world  —  to  be 
admired.  Flattery  would  hurt  him  —  he  can't  bear 
it — he  has  too  much  self-esteem." 


Original  Sketch.  in 

44  He's  a  public  man  of  some  sort,  but  I  don't  know 
what  to  do  with  him.  He  can't  be  a  lecturer.  I 
don't  think  he  has  mind  enough  to  write  much. 
I  must  put  him  on  the  stage.  That's  the  best  place 
for  him.  It  makes  me  tremble  so.  I  can't  think  he's 
a  very  respectable  character.  He  might  be  a  great 
mimic  —  take  any  one  off  to  perfection.  Is  he  a 
play-actor?  I  don't  know  what  else  to  do  with  him. 
I  think  he  might  be  a  good  actor,  but  I  don't  think 
he'd  be  much  off  the  stage.  I  don't  think  he's  a  very 
moral  man.  He's  some  great  star.  I  thought,  at 
first,  he  was  very  comical,  but  I  don't  think  he  is 
now.  I  think  he'd  take  to  tragedy.  He  has  a  good 
memory.  He's  an  actor  —  has  a  very  high  reputa- 
tion —  people  would  make  a  great  rush  to  see 
him." 

(What  do  you  say  of  the  soundness  of  his  mind?) 
"  He  is  not  a  man  of  great  or  expanded  mind.  He's 
rather  feeble-minded  —  he  seems  mysterious.  (How 
is  he  regarded  as  to  this  matter?)  I  don't  think  he 
is  perfectly  sane.  I  feel  in  doubt  about  it;  I  can't 
tell.  (Is  he  living,  or  dead?)  I  think  he  must  be 
living." 

ROBERT  FULTON  —  by  Mrs.  P. 
"  I  feel  it  up  my  arm  —  makes  it  ache  —  feeling  of 
stupor  has  gone  off;    feel   very    cheerful  —  like  the 
writer  very  well  —  pleasant,  cheerful  fellow  —  imagi- 
native,   kind  -  hearted :     seems    a   young    man,    not 
attained  to  what  he  might  be  —  feels  as  if  he  had  the 
power  to  be   anything  he   chose  to  be  —  full  of  high 
hopes    of  achieving    fame    in    some    way,  by    doing 
good  to  his  country.     He  is  full  of  patriotism  —  not 


H2  Original  Sketch. 

old  enough  yet  to  have  lost  his  joyousness,  and 
become  disappointed  at  all.  He  will  be  successful. 

44  He  is  dead  !  There  is  a  feeling  of  indescribable 
sadness,  as  if  some  one  had  been  cut  down  in  the 
bloom  of  youth,  with  bright  prospects  before  him. 
He  was  full  of  noble  feeling  —  had  very  fine  intellec- 
tual capacity  —  full  of  beauty.  I  feel  that  he  was 
too  young  to  have  achieved  much  :  he  had  a  con- 
sciousness of  power,  but  was  too  young,  or  else  had 
been  carried  away,  and  not  turned  his  powers  to 
account.  I  feel  as  if  he  had  died  before  he  accom- 
plished anything.  I  feel  as  if  he  had  difficulties,  and 
did  not  realize  his  dreams.  He  was  rather  a  disap- 
pointed man.  He  died,  disappointed,  in  the  midst  of 
his  undertaking  —  disappointed  in  men,  disappointed 
in  life.  He  has  left  some  fame  —  not  what  he  might 
have  left  if  he  had  lived  and  justice  had  been  done 
him.  He  was  an  American  —  a  Northern  man  — 
dead  some  twenty  years  —  belongs  rather  to  the  past 
than  the  present." 

The  letter  upon  which  this  opinion  was  pronounced, 
reads  as  follows : 

"  NEW- YORK,  May  18,  1812. 

"Dear  Law — Have  you  forgot  the  Ganges? 
What  active  measures  are  you  pursuing  to  carry 
your  well-conceived  and  highly  important  plans  into 
effect,  as  soon  as  possible?  Time,  you  know,  is 
precious.  Tt  is  so  important  an  object,  that  I  am  of 
the  opinion  one  of  your  sons  should  immediately 
come  here,  and  go  from  hence  to  England  ;  and,  if 
encouraged  there,  to  India.  What  are  our  friends, 


Original  Sketch.  113 

the  friends  to  science  and  the  arts,  doing  for  the 
patent  law?  Shall  mind,  which  governs  matter, 
have  no  protection,  while  a  field  of  potatoes,  the 
vulgar  labor  of  mere  vulgar  hands,  is  barricaded  in 
protecting  laws?  Shall  war  stare  us  in  the  face,  and 
the  laws  give  no  inducement  for  genius  to  deal 
destruction  to  our  enemies?  If  every  member  of 
Congress  had  the  mind,  the  soul  of  a  Lorenzo  de 
Medicis,  would  not  the  country,  by  encouragement, 
exhibit  wrorks  of  genius  which  would  give  dignity  to 
our  character,  and  make  us  respected?  Write  me 
soon.  Yours,  etc. 

"  ROB'T  FULTON." 

The  lady  by  whom  the  foregoing  opinion  was  pro- 
nounced, was  remarkable  rather  for  the  delicacy  and 
strength  of  her  emotions,  than  for  the  power  of 
investigating  character.  I  give  the  experiment  as 
an  example  of  psychometric  portraiture,  frequently 
occuring,  in  which  the  leading  impression  or  tout 
ensemble  will  be  painted,  rather  than  the  specific 
details  of  the  character  and  life.  The  power  of 
describing  the  general  impression  and  sentiment, 
which  is  associated  with  the  letter  or  the  life  of  the 
writer,  is  much  more  common  than  the  power  of  dis- 
covering the  particular  facts. 

To  a  correct  reasoner,  these  imperfect  experiments 
constitute  a  complete  demonstration  of  the  psychome- 
tric power.  Indeed,  the  most  meagre  of  our  experi- 
ments are  sufficiently  convincing,  when  impartially 
examined ;  for,  in  describing  any  individual,  each 
trait  or  feature  of  his  character  would  admit  of  at 


Original  Sketch. 

least  a  hundred  different  descriptions,  of  which  only 
one  would  be  true.  The  probabilities,  therefore,  are 
a.  hundred  to  one  against  the  correctness  of  each 
statement;  and  the  entire  truth  of  the  description,  if 
it  were  mere  guess  work,  would  be  a  coincidence 
beyond  the  utmost  range  of  probability.  If  an  artist 
should  attempt  to  paint  the  portrait  of  an  unknown 
individual,  without  any  hint  by  which  to  guide  his 
fancy,  it  is  perfectly  certain  that  his  fancy-sketch 
could  not,  by  any  admissible  possibility,  become  a 
true  portrait.  If  the  portrait  should  prove  a  faithful 
one,  it  would  be  impossible  to  convince  any  one  that 
the  artist  had  never  seen  his  subject,  and  knew  not 
his  name,  country,  age,  sex  or  pursuits.  So,  when  a 
psychometric  portrait  proves  correct,  we  are  com- 
pelled to  believe  that  the  psychometer  has  had  some 
means  of  satisfactory  observation,  and  that  a  true 
portrait  has  not  been  painted  by  accident. 

The  demonstration  of  a  psychometric  experiment 
is  so  complete,  that  no  objection  can  have  any 
material  weight,  excepting  one  which  is  based  upon 
its  truth.  It  may  be  affirmed  that  the  psychometer 
derives  his  impressions,  not  from  the  letter,  but  from 
the  minds  of  those  around  him  —  that  he  has  a 
sympathy  with  them,  which  enables  him  to  interpret 
their  views,  independent  of  any  impression  from  the 
paper.  To  those  who  have  witnessed  many  mes- 
meric experiments,  this  suggestion  has  much  plausi- 
bility ;  and  I  would  not  deny  that,  in  some  cases, 
the  sentiments  of  those  about  him  may  influence  a 
very  sympathetic  individual,  and  modify  his  conclu- 
sions ;  but  these  extraneous  influences  are  not  the 


Original  Sketch.  115 

source  of  his  impressions.  If  he  holds  the  letter  in 
his  hands,  he  recognizes  its  impression  as  commenc- 
ing at  the  point  of  contact,  and  traversing  the  arm 
to  the  brain,  giving  him  an  idea  of  the  character  only 
after  the  brain  has  been  impressed.  If  it  is  held  on 
the  forehead,  he  perceives  the  influence  more  readily, 
which  is  diffused  from  the  letter  over  his  head,  and 
which  affects  distinctly  the  particular  organs  that  are 
most  highly  excited.  He  perceives  that  the  letter  is 
the  source  of  his  impressions,  and  if  it  should  be 
enveloped  in  paper,  each  additional  fold  of  paper 
increases  the  difficulty  of  receiving  the  impression. 
The  immediate  contact  of  the  wrriting  is  the  most 
efficient  means  of  communicating  the  impression,  and 
the  different  portions  of  the  manuscript  frequently 
communicate  different  ideas,  according  to  the  tenor 
of  the  writer's  thoughts. 

The  same  opinions  will  be  given  by  the  psychome- 
ter  in  the  presence  of  different  persons,  whether  they 
have  or  have  not  any  idea  of  the  character  of  the 
autograph.  He  can  exercise  the  power  as  well 
alone,  as  he  can  exercise  any  of  his  other  senses. 
He  can  take  a  letter,  the  moment  it  has  been  received 
from  the  post-office,  and  investigate  its  character 
alone,  before  he  has  opened  it  to  learn  its  source  or 
contents.  The  psychometric  power  is  a  power  of 
independent  perception,  not  derived  from  the  opinions 
of  those  about  us,  but  exerted  like  the  sense  of  sight 
or  smell,  by  our  own  independent  action. 

To  demonstrate,  more  clearly,  this  independence  of 
the  psychometer,  I  have  frequently  had  opinions  pro- 
nounced upon  autographs,  without  myself  knowing 


n6  Original  Sketch. 

the  names  until  the  close  of  the  experiment.  In  such 
cases,  the  opinions  were  as  bold  and  as  accurate  as 
when  I  knew  the  subject  of  the  experiment.  In  1844, 
I  selected  the  autographs  of  Dr.  Spurzheim,  Sir 
Edward  Lytton  Bulwer,  the  novelist,  and  Ellen  Tree, 
the  actress,  and  placing  them  upon  the  table,  re- 
quested Miss  W.  to  examine  and  give  her  opinions  of 
the  manuscripts  before  her.  She  proceeded  to  inves- 
tigate them  without  my  knowing  which  of  the  three 
she  had  selected  (herself  totally  ignorant  of  the  nature 
of  the  autographs).  When  they  were  examined,  at 
the  conclusion  of  the  experiment,  I  found  that  her 
opinions  had  been  given  as  correctly  as  in  other  cases, 
having  readily  recognized  one  of  the  characters  as  a 
female,  and  the  others  as  males. 

EDWARD  L.  BULWER  —  by  Miss  W.  (After  Spurz- 
heim.) 

(Is  it  like  the  other?)  "  He  's  a  calmer  sort  of  be- 
ing. I  think  the  person  would  rather  sit  down  and 
read  and  write,  than  any  thing  else.  I  think  he  's 
very  serious,  very  thoughtful,  very  imaginative. 
He  's  not  a  very  active  man.  I  think  he  's  a  public 
man,  but  I  do  n't  think  he  's  a  professional  man  or  a 
politician.  I  guess  he  is  n't  very  sociable  ;  he  's  a  soli- 
tary sort  of  being  —  he  likes  to  be  by  himself  and  not 
be  disturbed  —  he  's  very  intellectual.  I  think  people 
generally  like  him  better  than . 

"I  shouldn't  altogether  fancy  him.  (Why?)  I 
do  n't  know  what,  but  there  's  something  about  him 
rather  repulsive.  He  can  be  very  refined  and  pol- 
ished, but  he  isn't  always  particular  to  be  so;  he's 
either  a  public  speaker  or  writer.  I  Ve  either  heard 


Original  Sketch.  117 

him  or  read  his  writings.  I  don't  think  lie  improves 
any  by  speaking  or  writing.  I  think  he  hurts  himself 
in  some  way.  I  think  he  's  a  great  lover  of  nature; 
he  has  a  very  fine  way  of  describing  it  —  would  make 
you  realize  it." 

"  It  's  no  one  that  I  know.  I  only  know  him  from 
something  that  I  Ve  heard  or  seen.  He  might  preach 
up  good  doctrines,  but  he  would  n't  always  practice 
them.  I  think  there  's  a  great  deal  of  romance  about 
him.  I  think  he  's  a  writer,  but  I  do  n't  think  that 
what  he  'd  write  would  benefit  society  much ;  he 's 
more  a  writer  of  romance  and  fiction.  It  do  n't  seem 
he  'd  ever  speak  or  write  upon  the  reforms  of  the  day. 
I  do  n't  think  I  'd  like  him  much  ;  he  do  n't  seem  to 
take  the  right  ground —  he  is  n't  refined  enough." 

(What 's  his  domestic  character?)  "  He  's  a  great 
literary  character.  I  can  't  think  of  any  thing  else. 
He  's  kind-hearted,  and  disposed  to  treat  people  well. 
I  think  he  might  be  agreeable,  but  not  very  talkative." 

(How  toward  his  wife?)  "  He  thinks  more  of  his  pen 
than  of  his  wife  —  might  preach  up  good  doctrine, 
but  would  not  practice  it.  He  'd  always  be  kind  and 
pleasant  enough,  but  he 's  more  engaged  in  other 
things." 

(What  are  his  leading  aims  and  tendencies?)  "  I 
think  he  wants  to  please  the  people,  whether  it  is  true 
or  not.  I  do  n't  think  he  's  very  conscientious.  (Has 
he  any  philanthropy?)  Yes,  I  think  he  has,  not  to  a 
very  great  degree.  (Is  he  republican,  or  aristo- 
cratic?) Rather  aristocratic  —  very  stately  and  dig- 
nified. (How  as  to  taste  in  writing?)  One  would  be 
excited  in  reading  his  writings,  but  I  do  n't  think  they 
would  require  a  great  deal  of  thought." 


n8  Original  S'cdrh. 

ACCURATE    DESCRIPTION    FROM     THREE    AUTOGRAPHS. 

A  description  from  the  autographs  of  Dr.  Spurzheim, 
Dr.  Caldwell  and  Dr.  Buchanan,  given  in  1852  by 
two  gentleman  whose  intelligence  and  superior  capaci- 
ties qualified  them  to  give  accurate  opinions,  was 
published  in  the  Journal  of  Man  at  the  time  as  an 
example  of  psychometric  accuracy.  Dr.  Caldwell 
was  at  that  time  living  and  quite  old.  He  was  a 
gentleman  of  commanding  stature,  dignified,  ener- 
getic, imposing  in  appearance  and  manners  —  more  so 
than  any  member  of  the  medical  profession  I  have 
ever  known.  He  was  bold  and  honest  in  the  pursuit  of 
truth  and  a  vigorous  controversialist.  Among  learned 
men  he  was  the  most  distinguished  champion  of 
Phrenology  and  also  of  Mesmerism,  notwithstanding 
the  opposition  of  his  colleagues.  The  force  of  his 
character  overcame  opposition.  Dr.  C.  had  led  a 
distinguished  career  as  a  medical  professor  and 
author  from  the  time  of  Rush  until  1850,  in  Phila- 
delphia, Lexington  and  Louisville,  and  was  the  first 
medical  professor  to  do  justice  to  my  own  experi- 
ments and  discoveries  in  1841-42. 

Dr.  Spurzheim  the  associate  of  Gall,  after  a  brilliant 
career  in  Europe,  was  received  with  great  honor  in 
Boston,  where  he  died  in  1833,  before  he  had  time  to 
extend  his  labors  beyond  the  city.  Pierpont  said  in 
his  ode  to  Spurzheim  : 

"  Friend  of  man,  of  God  the  servant, 

Advocate  of  truths  divine, 
Nature's  priest,  how  pure  and  fervent 
Was  thy  worship  at  her  shrine." 


Original  Sketch.  119 

When  the  descriptions  were  published  Mr.  Pier- 
point,  writing  of  this  article,  said  :  "  The  last  number 
of  the  Journal  of  Man  has  greatly  interested  me, 
especially  in  the  Psychometric  Department,  as  I  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  a  personal  acquaintance,  more  or 
less  intimate  with  all  the  three  distinguished  philoso- 
phers whose  characters  are  psychometrically  given  — 
Spurzheim,  Caldwell  and  Buchanan.  They  are  all 
done  admirably  —  yes,  marvellously.  I  cannot  con- 
ceive how  their  respective  characters  could  have  been 
more  truly,  more  faithfully,  or  more  discriminatingly 
drawn." 

These  descriptions  are  condensed  in  the  following 
abridgments  of  the  reports  which  give  the  salient 
points. 

PERSONAL     DEVELOPMENT. 

SPURZHEIM. — (Mr.  T.)  I  think  this  individual  is 
diseased.  There  is  oppression  of  the  lungs  and 
chest,  with  difficult,  laborious,  painful  breathing  ;  a 
good  deal  of  prostration  of  the  nervous  energy. 
(Mr.  P.)  My  first  impression  is  that  he  is  not  living. 
His  forehead  was  wide,  high  and  prominent.  His 
constitution  was  strong,  his  head  large,  full  and 
predominant  in  front. 

CALDWELL. —  (Mr.  P.)  -He  has  a  large  person, 
full  chested  with  vigorous  lungs  and  circulation,  and 
I  suppose  a  heavy  beard. 

BUCHANAN. —  (Mr.  P.)  This  person  has  a  large 
head,  about  six  and  a  half  inches  by  eight.*  The 
brain  projects  anteriorly,  laterally  and  superiorly.  His 

*  The  exact  size  was  six  ami  four-tenths  by  eight. 


I2O  Original  Sketch. 

head  is  very  broad  on  the  top,  round  and  full. 
The  individual  is  living,  actively  engaged  and  in 
health.  (What  is  the  relative  length  of  the  three 
heads?)  The  second  is  longest  in  proportion  to  its 
breadth.  The  third  is  next  longest  in  proportion  to 
its  breadth.  The  first  Was  nearly  round.  The  second 
is  smaller  as  to  cubic  contents.  The  first  and  third 
differ  but  little  in  cubic  bulk.  The  third  is  rather  the 
longest  antero-posteriorly,  and  is  broadest  at  ideality 
and  cautiousness.  This  one  has  not  so  large  a  body 
but  has  good  vital  stamina.  His  head  is  out  of  pro- 
portion to  his  body.  He  is  not  so  large  as  the  first  and 
second,  though  he  may  be  tall.  He  has  less  muscu- 
lar development. 

These  descriptions  are  remarkably  accurate.  The 
dimensions  of  the  heads  are  precisely  correct 

GENERAL  CHARACTER. 

SPURZHEIM. —  He  is  not  developed  in  celestial 
spirituality  but  much  more  in  intellectuality  —  more 
engaged  in  studying  the  externals  of  Nature,  the 
forms  and  relations  of  spiritual  things  than  the 
internal  or  celestial.  In  life  he  had  a  good  deal  of 
intellectual  power  —  the  perceptive  and  reflective 
were  equally  developed  and  exercised.  He  was  a 
hard  student,  a  continuous  thinker.  There  is  consid- 
erable firmness  and  decision  with  physical  force  and 
energy.  He  was  a  man  of  free  thinking,  liberal 
mind.  The  mainspring  of  his  action  was  a  feeling 
of  trust,  benevolence  and  philanthropy.  He  had  a 
grave,  reflective  mind,  but  not  a  great  deal  of 
vivacity.  There  was  not  much  spirituality.  He 


Original  Sketch.  121 

would  investigate  thoroughly  before  expressing  an 
opinion.  He  had  a  steady  self-reliance  but  no 
egotism.  He  is  governed  by  a  steady  purpose  to 
accomplish  the  great  object  of  his  life.  It  was  not  a 
mind  of  spontaneous  genius  but  of  elaborate  intellect. 

As  a  speaker  he  was  grave  and  impressive,  not 
sprightly  but  dignified.  When  excited  he  exhibited 
power  and  made  a  deep,  lasting  impression.  His 
desire  was  to  benefit  the  whole  community,  by 
developing  science,  enlightening  them,  and  enab- 
ling them  to  understand  the  laws  of  nature  under 
\vhich  they  live. 

CALDWELL.  —  This  individual  is  fully  developed  in 
the  intellectual  region.  He  has  considerable  ideality 
and  imagination,  is  impulsive  and  excitable,  reasons 
from  analogy  —  is  ardent,  energetic,  bold,  fearless. 
This  one  has  more  active  conspicuous  ambition  con- 
nected with  personal  notoriety.  He  has  more  egotism, 
the  former  more  modest  dignity.  He  lives  more  in 
the  present — the  former  will  live  in  the  future.  The 
former  is  more  original  —  this  seems  too  impulsive  for 
a  very  patient  investigation.  He  ?s  polite,  graceful, 
vain,  showy  and  courtly  in  manner.  In  speaking  he 
is  engaged  in  making  active  gestures.  In  controversy 
he  is  disposed  to  be  bitter  and  sarcastic.  When 
aroused  he  seems  to  have  an  inexhaustible  fountain  of 
intellectual  material.  He  could  attract  more  attention 
personally  and  have  an  influence  wherever  he  went. 
The  other  would  have  a  more  creative  mind  producing 
those  things  which  would  last  forever,  while  this 
would  be  more  brilliant  for  a  time.  He  aims  to  be 
conspicuous  and  lofty  in  the  eyes  of  the  world.  He 


122  Original  Sketch. 

would  be  better  fitted  than  the  other  for  political 
and  fashionable  life. 

3.  BUCHANAN. — A  very  clear,  bright  intellect; 
great  natural  capacity  —  free  and  spontaneous  in  its 
action  critical  and  philosophic.  His  mind  is  inclined  to 
scientific  and  philosophic  investigation.  He  engages 
in  it  with  a  good  deal  of  energy.  This  mind  to  be 
appreciated  belongs  to  the  future.  He  has  self  reli- 
ance but  no  vanity.  He  has  clearer  and  more  accu- 
rate perceptions  than  No.  i  and  comes  more  directly 
and  correctly  to  conclusions.  He  belongs  to  a  later 
period  in  the  progress  of  science  and  is  more  brilliant. 
More  philosophic  and  better  balanced  than  No.  2,  — a 
more  active  temperament  than  the  first. 

He  is  investigating  some  philosophic  scientific  sub- 
ject. It  is  the  main  object  of  his  life  to  develop, 
found  and  establish  it.  It  is  not  in  reference  to  him- 
self but  he  seems  inseparably  connected  with  it.  He 
is  not  pursuing  it  for  honor  or  personal  fame,  but  for 
the  love  of  truth.  He  is  willing  to  live  only  in  the 
future  or  be  denounced  in  the  present,  It  is  one  of 
the  most  pleasant  living  autographs  I  have  ever  had 
on  my  forehead.  He  is  governed  by  caution  in  his 
investigations,  which  are  scientific  rather  than  politi- 
cal or  literary.  His  labors  have  not  been  duly  appre- 
ciated. His  ambition  is  intellectual  —  not  with  the 
force  and  energy  of  the  second.  There  is  no  activity 
in  acquisitiveness.  He  can  grasp  a  great  deal  and 
make  it  comprehended  by  others  —  everything  is  clear 
-he  is  an  architect  of  ideas.  He  will  survive  either 
of  the  others  in  reputation  as  he  has  a  greater  capac- 
ity for  creation  and  draws  ideas  from  sources  the  others 


Original  Sketch.  123 

cannot  reach.     This  one  belongs  to  all  future  time  — 
not  to  the  present ;  the  second  belongs  to  the  present. 
The  first  will  be  enduring  but  being  less  creative  will 
not  endure  so  long  as  this. 

In  the  Journal  of  Man  for  July,  1851,  was  given  a 
description  of  six  of  the  impassioned  orators  of  the 
South.  Henry  Clay  and  Judge  Rowan  of  Kentucky, 
John  Randolph  of  Virginia,  S.  S.  Prentiss  of  Missis- 
sippi, Col.  Jos.  H.  Daviess  of  Kentucky  and  Gov. 
McDuffie  of  South  Carolina.  The  descriptions  were 
all  faultlessly  correct,  and*  after  all  had  been  described 
the  following  summary  and  comparison  was  made  by 
the  psychometer. 

CLAY  is  the  most  intuitive  and  best  adapted  to  a 
popular  audience.  He  could  make  the  most  friends, 
but  WM3uld  have  less  logical  power  than  either,  except 
Randolph  or  perhaps  Daviess. 

ROWAN  is  the  most  powerful  as  an  impressive 
speaker  with  most  of  the  stern  dignity  that  overawes. 

[Judge  Rowan  on  account  of  his  commanding 
bearing  was  commonly  called  "  the  Old  Monarch." 
As  a  criminal  advocate,  he  very  rarely  failed  to  ac- 
quit his  client.] 

PRENTISS  would  have  the  most  uniform  mental 
action  of  a  calm,  well-balanced  character.  He  would 
have  the  copiousness  of  Randolph  with  more  origin- 
ality and  versatility. 

RANDOLPH  is  the  most  sarcastic,  with  the  least 
courtesy  and  moral  refinement.  He  has  the  best 
memory  and  the  greatest  exactness.  Randolph  has 
the  most  intense  excitement,  Clay  the  most  sustained 
action  of  the  brain.  Rowan  has  a  full,  well-sus- 


124  Original  Sketch. 

tained  mentality.  McDuffie  a  more  intense  but  less 
uniform  action. 

DAVIESS  would  compare  with  Prentiss  and  Clay. 
He  would  have  more  ideal  pleasantness  and  enthu- 
siasm, but  less  of  oratorical  power.  (The  early  death 
of  Col.  Daviess  at  the  battle  of  Tippecanoe  robbed 
him  of  a  brilliant  career.  His  name  was  honored  in 
Illinois  by  the  memento  "Joe  Daviess  County.") 

McDuffie  would  be  distinguished  by  greater  vehe- 
mence and  stubborn  will. 


CHAPTER  III. 

LATER  DEVELOPMENTS. 

Poem  —  Universal  neglect  of  psychometric  discoveries  —  Early  experi- 
ments with  Mr.  Inintui  —Delicacy  of  the  psychometric  faculty— Privacy 
necessary  to  its  best  conditions  —  Lecture  before  Women's  Club  —  Ex- 
periments in  New  York  in  1878— Psychometric  genius  of  Mrs.  Dr. 
Haydcn  jnul  Mrs.  Decker  —  Previous  life  and  remarkable  experiences 
of  Mrs.  D.  —  Sensibilities  developed  in  myself  —  Impressions  in  the 
mind  affecting  particular  organs  —  Probable  contagion  of  mental  con- 
ditions, especially  in  warm  climates  —  Vast  extent  of  such  influences  — 
Telepathic  phenomena  in  India  —  Familiar  experiments  with  Mrs.  T>. 
—  Personal  experiences  in  Psychometry  —  Nominal  Psychometry  — 
Angelo  Cardela  described — Theory  of  Psychometry  —  Impressions 
derived  from  blank  paper— Description  of  Carlyle  —  Phenomena  of 
catalysis  ana  contact  images  —  Their  relation  to  vital  processes — The 
use  of  pictures — An  index  only  needed — Wide  range  of  psychometric 
power  —  Use  of  names  and  investigation  of  questions — Independence  of 
contact  — Examination  of  slates  and  sealed  letters  —Of  minerals  —  Its 
financial  importance  —  Impressions  from  the  back  of  written  paper  — 
Importance  of  religious  questions  in  Psychometry  —  Investigation  of 
the  founders  of  religion  —  Conclusions  as  to  Christianity — Competence 
of  Psychometry  to  restore  all  the  past,  dispensing  with  records  and 
monuments — Psychometry  based  on  INTUITION — The  Divine  element  in 
man  —  The  basis  of  all  human  intelligence —  Antagonized  by  false  skep- 
tical and  metaphysical  philosophizing  —  Science  prepares  for  the  tem- 
ple of  philosophy  to  be  erected  by  psychometric  power  —  The  world's 
progress  depends  on  its  most  spiritual  powers  — Wordsworth  quoted  — 
Modern  antagonism  to  the  psychic — Testimony  of  Cabanis,  Esdaile,  Mo- 
reau  de  la  Sarthe,  and  St.  Gregory  —  Hostility  to  the  psychic  elements 
of  Greek  philosophy  and  of  Christianity  —  Its  cause  animalism  and 
false  education  —  Psychometry  leads  to  a  higher  social  condition  — 
Power  of  the  intuitional  faculties  in  the  past  —  Why  has  investigation 
been  neglected — Intuition  illustrated  by  Zchokke  —  The  recent  dark 
ages— Intuition  in  religious  history— I  ntution  in  Australia,  Dr.  Rohner. 

I  wandered  with  an  earnest  heart 

Among  the  quarried  depths  of  Thought 

125 


126  /,  atcr  DcTclopju cit ts . 

And  kindled  by  the  poet's  art, 
I  deftly  wrought. 

I  wrought  for  Beauty  ;  and  the  world 
Grew  very  green  and  smooth  for  me, 

And  blossom  banners  hung  unfurled 
On  every  tree. 

Upon  my  heated  forehead  lay 

The  cooling  laurel,  and  my  feet 
Crushed  buried  fragrance  out,  the  way 

Had  grown  so  sweet. 

And  Praise  was  servant  of  the  ear 
And  Love  dropt  kisses  on  the  cheek, 

And  smiled  a  passion-thought  too  dear 
For  tongue  to  speak. 

But  one  day  the  ideal  Good 

Baptized  me  with  immortal  Youth 
And  in  sublimity  of  mind,  I  WROUGHT  FOR  TRUTH 

Oh,  then  instead  of  laurel  crown, 
The  world  entwined  a  thorny  band, 

And  on  my  forehead  pressed  it  down 
With  heavy  hand. 

And  looks  that  used  to  warm  me,  froze. 

I  lost  the  cheer,  the  odor  sweet 
The  path  of  velvet ;  glaciers  rose 

Before  my  feet. 


Later  Developments.  127 

Yet  truth  the  more  divinely  shone, 

As  onward  still  I  sought  to  press, 
And  gloriously  proved  her  own 

Almightiness.          — Augusta  Cooper  Bristol. 

This  beautiful  poetical  utterance  embodies  as  much 
of  truth  as  beauty  —  as  is  well  known  to  all  loyal  ad- 
herents who  stand  in  the  body  guard  of  Truth.  The 
psychometric  discoveries  which  should  have  flashed 
around 'the  world  at  least  as  speedily  as  the  discovery 
of  a  comet,  a  shell,  a  plant,  or  a  new  chemical  com- 
bination, were  very  unanimously  ignored.  No  college 
gave  the  subject  a  thought,  no  cyclopedia  mentioned 
it,  until  against  the  protest  of  the  learned  corps  of 
contributors,  the  publisher  of  Johnson's  Cyclopedia 
introduced  my  statement  of  the  principles  of  Psychom- 
etry.  The  science  was  heard  of  only  through  my 
own  magazine  and  the  liberal  medical  college,  which 
against  a  bitter  opposition  we  had  successfully  estab- 
lished in  Cincinnati. 

I  place  these  facts  on  record  as  a  warning  to  the 
coming  generation  against  such  disloyalty  to  truth  and 
the  spirit  of  honest  investigation.  Denton's  marvel- 
ous work  in  three  volumes,  "  THE  SOUL  OF  THINGS," 
was  almost  the  only  evidence  that  Truth,  had.  any 
courageous  and  philosophic  votaries  in  the.  sphere,  of 
psychic  science.  In  "  Isis  Unveiled,"  that  vast, 
learned  and  marvellous  -work'  of  Madame  Blavatsky, 
there  was  a  .-generous  recognition,  as  its  learned 
authoress  was  familiar  with  the  extraordinary  realm  of 
science  in  which  psychometry  belongs  —  her  lan- 
guage was  as  follows  (vol.  I,  p.  182  :) 


128  Later  Dcuclo-pm  en  Is . 

"This  faculty  is  called  by  its  discoverer,  Prof.  J. 
R.  Buchanan — Psychometry.  To  him  the  world  is 
indebted  for  this  most  important  addition  to  psycholo- 
gical sciences  ;  and  to  him,  perhaps,  when  skepticism 
is  found  felled  to  the  ground  by  accumulation  of  facts, 
posterity  will  have  to  erect  a  statue.  The  existence 
of  this  faculty  was  first  experimentally  demonstrated 
in  1841.  It  has  since  been  verified  by  a  thousand 
psychometers  in  different  parts  of  the  world." 

The  experimental  demonstration  in  1841,  was 
merely  the  recognition  of  impressions  from  the  living 
brain.  It  was  not  until  1842  that  I  discovered  the 
power  of  estimating  psychic  existence  far  away  from 
the  living  person  by  the  writing,  and  it  was  this  fuller 
development  of  the  same  faculty  which  compelled  me 
to  coin  the  word  Psychometry. 

Let  me  now  sketch  the  progress  of  the  science  from 
its  publication  in  the  yournal  of  Man  and  in  my 
Anthropology,  to  the  present  publication,  in  1885. 

The  first  development  of  the  psychometric  power 
which  I  found  in  1842,  was  that  of  Charles  Inman,  (a 
younger  brother  of  the  celebrated  artist) ,  with  whom 
I  discovered  the  power  of  autographic  Psychometry 
at  New  York.  Mr.  Inman  enabled  me  to  make  the 
most  minute  surveys  of  the  cephalic  organs.  He 
could  define  the  functions  not  only  by  touching  with 
his  fingers,  but  by  using  a  pencil  case  or  a  small 
metallic  rod  to  touch  the  various  parts  of  the  cranial 
surface.  In  doing  this  he  caught  impressions  of  the 
most  minute  gradation  and  variation  of  functions,  and 
it  seemed  to  me  from  his  descriptions  that  he  recognized 
the  boundaries  between  the  convolutions  where  the 


Later  Developments.  129 

change  was  more  marked  than  in  passing  along  the 
course  of  a  convolution.  I  felt  a  strong  desire  to 
take  some  bald  head  and  map  on  its  surface  the 
positions  of  each  convolution  by  psychometric  explo- 
ration. Mr.  I.,  however,  was  of  too  delicate  and 
anemic  a  temperament  for  a  perfect  exercise  of 
Psychometry,  and  sometimes  gave  negative  state- 
ments of  functions  which  should  have  been  described 
in  more  active  manifestation,  so  as  to  mislead  me 
somewhat  in  the  nomenclature. 

The  sensitive  delicacy  that  belongs  to  the 
psychometric  constitution  is  ill  suited  to  public  dis- 
plays of  the  faculty.  When  the  most  delicate 
psychic  faculties  are  engaged  in  a  profound  and 
difficult  investigation,  the  presence  of  a  large,  expec- 
tant company  would  be  too  great  a  disturbing  power, 
especially  when  the  company  is  in  a  state  of  intense 
curiosity  and  skepticism.  The  psychometer,  like 
all  profound  students,  requires  quiet  and  seclusion 
for  his  best  efforts.  I  do  not  deny  that  persons 
accustomed  to  public  speaking,  may,  if  psychometric, 
exercise  their  powers  on  the  platform,  but  I  have 
always  avoided  such  exhibitions.  The  nearest 
approach  I  have  made  to  it  was  in  April,  1874, 
when  I  addressed  the  New  England  Woman's  Club 
in  Boston.  The  Globe  report  of  this  occasion  stated 
"There  was  a  large  assembly  present  to  welcome 
Dr.  Buchanan,  including  many  wrhose  names  are 
prominent  as  writers  and  advocates  of  measures  of 
reform."  After  the  lecture  "  a  psychometric  circle 
was  formed  from  some  of  the  ladies  present,  and  slips 
of  paper  containing  the  handwriting  of  a  certain 


130  Later  Developments* 

individual  to  them  unknown  were  given  to  each  and 
they  were  requested  to  press  them  against  their  fore- 
heads until  they  experienced  some  sensation  and 
then  announce  it."  From  those  who  proved  most 
sensitive  "  Four  persons  were  then  selected  and 
letters  given  them,  and  the  autographs  of  the  writers 
pressed  against  their  foreheads.  This  was  most  suc- 
cessful, the  ladies  all  experiencing  some  definite 
sensations,  and  one  lady  declared  that  the  writer  was 
a  person  of  great  firmness  of  character,  another  that 
he  had  a  high  ideal,  and  still  another  that  he  was  a 
great  reformer  and  benefactor  of  mankind.  Mrs. 
Moulton,  who  seemed  to  experience  this  influence 
more  strongly  than  the  rest,  said  that  she  thought 
that  he  would  stand  about  where  Theodore  Parker 
did." 

In  fact,  Mrs.  Moulton  gave  a  good  description  of 
Theodore  Parker,  evincing  fine  psychometric  capac- 
ities. Mrs.  L.  C.  Moulton  is  well  known  to  the 
literati,  especially  by  her  poetical  writings.  Under 
proper  circumstances  Psychometry  may  be  displayed 
before  a  select  company,  but  the  vulgar  atmosphere 
and  influence  attending  a  public  exhibition  have  pre- 
vented me  heretofore  from  adopting  that  method  of 
propagandism.  In  select  companies,  however,  we 
have  had  many  delightful  evenings.  The  superior 
delicacy  of  the  female  constitution  renders  the 
psychometric  faculty  a  much  more  common  endow- 
ment of  females  than  of  males.  It  is  well  known 
that  color  blindness  is  much  less  common  among 
females,  and  some  recent  experiments  at  the  Univer- 
sity of  Kansas  have  demonstrated  that  females  have 


Later  Developments.  131 

a  more  acute  taste  and  could  detect  the  presence  of 
foreign  matter  in  water  more  readily.  A  large 
majority  of  females  between  sixteen  and  twenty 
years  of  age  evince  psychometric  capacities. 

After  my  removal  to  New  York  in  1877,  I  formed 
a  small  psychometric  society  of  ladies  which  held 
many  interesting  meetings  for  the  cultivation  of  their 
powers.  In  the  society,  Mrs.  Decker  (now  Mrs. 
Buchanan),  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Hayden  displayed  a  more 
delicate,  yet  vigorous  and  brilliant  capacity,  than  I 
had  previously  been  accustomed  to. 

MARIA  B.  HAYDEN,  M.  D.,  chiefly  in  conse- 
quence of  her  psychometric  genius,  was  one  of  the 
most  skilful  and  successful  physicians  I  have  ever 
known.  About  thirty-five  years  ago  she  visited 
England  with  her  husband,  Dr.  W.  R.  Hayden,  and 
introduced  spiritualism  to  a  distinguished  circle  of 
intelligent  people.  Through  her  agency,  the  venera- 
ble Robert  Owen  was  converted  from  his  benevolent 
agnosticism  to  a  still  more  benevolent  spiritualism, 
and  Bulwer  was  enlightened  in  reference  to  truths  for 
which  he  had  no  other  use  than  to  weave  them  into 
tissues  of  romance.  Contaminated  by  his  moral 
unsoundness,  the  gold  of  sacred  truth  became  the 
pinch-beck  of  theatrical  mystery.  Returning  to 
America  she  graduated  in  medicine  and  conducted 
for  over  fifteen  years  a  medical  practice  so  entirely 
successful  that  her  name  was  forgotten  at  the  Board 
of  Health  from  not  having  for  several  years  a  single 
death  to  report. 

The  psychometric  talent  of  Mrs.  Hayden  was  very 
successfully  employed  by  the  president  of  the  Globe 


I  •; 2  Lulcr   Dci>(-'oiJiirH/s. 

Life  Insurance  Company  in  protecting  the  company 
against  losses  in  insurance  on  lives,  until  forbidden 
by  the  bigoted  stupidity  of  the  board  —  a  folly 
which  contributed  largely  to  the  ultimate  wreck  of 
the  company. 

Mrs.  H.  was  greatly  retarded  from  attaining  her 
proper  professional  rank  by  her  sensitiveness  and 
modesty.  When  offered  a  medical  professorship,  for 
which  she  was  eminently  qualified,  she  firmly 
retused  it.  The  sphere  of  a  medical  college  is 
certainly  not  attractive  to  a  woman  of  refined  sensi- 
bility. 

MRS.  CORNELIA  H.  DECKER  was  a  lady  of  distin- 
guished appearance  with  that  remarkable  delicacy 
and  spirituality  of  manner  which  is  generally  associ- 
ated with  psychometric  genius.  She  had  lived  at 
Hudson  on  the  Hudson  River  during  her  married  life 
in  circumstances  of  ease,  exercising  a  kind  hospital- 
ity to  persons  of  liberal  minds,  and  to  the  conspicuous 
representatives  of  spiritualism,  in  which  she  was  much 
interested. 

Her  graceful  hospitality,  her  exquisite  musical  pow 
ers  and  bright  inspiration  were  highly  appreciated. 
She  manifested  the  highest  forms  of  the  intuitional 
power  and  coming  events  were  sometimes  depicted  to 
her  vision  with  startling  reality.  A  remarkable  illus- 
tration of  this  was  her  vision  of  the  wreck  of  a  steam- 
boat opposite  Hudson,  and  minute  description  of  the 
event  nearly  twenty-four  hours  before  it  occurred,  in 
1850. 

She  retired  to  rest  as  usual  but  in  the  night  she  had 
a  vision  that  seemed  a  reality,  and  greatly  disturbed 


Later  Developments.  Ij^ 

her.  She  seemed  to  be  standing  on  a  hill  overlook- 
ing  the  river  and  saw  a  steamboat  coming  down  the 
river  with  the  speed  stimulated  by  racing  competition 
until  it  struck  upon  a  projecting  rock  and  was 
wrecked.  There  was  a  light  snow  falling  as  it  ap- 
peared, and  soon  the  bells  of  the  city  were  ringing  an 
alarm.  The  boats  appeared  rescuing  the  people  who 
were  struggling  in  the  water,  and  carried  them  to  the 
village  of  Athens  on  the  shore  opposite  Hudson. 

The  scene  made  so  deep  an  impression  that  she 
could  sleep  but  little  more,  and  the  next  day  she  nar- 
rated the  whole  to  her  family  and  friends.  In  the 
evening  she  was  visiting  with  some  friends  and  when 
the  gentlemen  of  the  family  came  home  at  night  they 
described  the  wreck  which  had  occurred  that  evening 
just  as  she  had  seen  it  in  every  particular.  The  next 
day  walking  out  to  view  the  wreck,  she  found  herself 
standing  at  the  exact  spot  which  she  seemed  to  occupy 
in  her  vision  when  she  saw  the  boat  wrecked. 

In  my  first  experiments  with  Mrs.  D.,  I  perceived 
her  great  delicacy  and  accuracy  of  psychometric  per- 
ception. Intercourse  with  good  psychometers  ap- 
peared to  cultivate  the  germ  of  the  psychometric 
faculty  in  myself.  My  mind  has  always  seemed 
clearer  and  more  delicate  in  conducting  psychometric 
experiments  than  at  any  other  time. 

I  succeeded  once  when  Mrs.  D.  was  a  few  miles 
north  of  my  location  in  New  York  in  getting  a  per- 
ception of  her  mental  condition  at  the  time,  and  when 
our  intercourse  developed  a  mutual  esteem  and  affec- 
tion, I  found  it  practicable  to  make  her  aware  of  my 
sentiments  and  purposes  in  her  absence  without  Ian- 


134  Later  Developments. 

guage  or  correspondence.  I  found  too  that  when 
attending  patients  with  sympathetic  interest  their  con- 
dition would  affect  me  so  that  I  would  be  aware  of 
their  suffering  at  the  very  moment  it  occurred.  A  re- 
markable instance  of  this  occurred  when  in  1879  ^ 
was  at  the  village  of  Owego,  about  two  hundred 
miles  from  New  York.  Between  two  and  three 
o'  clock  in  the  afternoon  I  felt  an  impression  which 
made  me  aware  of  the  illness  at  that  moment  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  Hayden  of  which  I  was  so  certain  that  I  immedi- 
ately wrote  to  her  and  ascertained  that  my  impres- 
sion was  correct. 

Since  then  I  have  become  accustomed  to  such  im- 
pressions and  feel  sure  that  no  one  nearly  connected 
or  associated  with  me  could  be  in  suffering  without 
my  receiving  an  impression.  Even  a  mental  distur- 
bance or  alarm  in  Mrs.  B.  conveys  to  me  an  impres- 
sion from  which  I  can  infer  her  condition.  I  have 
once  felt  a  similar  impression  from  my  daughter  when 
more  than  a  thousand  miles  away. 

The  nature  of  such  Impressions  is  remarkable  and 
may  be  instructive  to  psychometers.  My  knowledge 
of  the  various  organs  of  the  brain  enables  me  to 
watch  their  condition  as  they  are  affected  by  pleasant 
and  unpleasant  excitements.  I  cannot  say  that  there 
is  a  feeling  in  the  interior  of  the  brain,  but  at  the 
surface  the  sensations  are  very  distinct.  The  tension 
and  warmth  over  active  organs,  the  void  unconscious- 
ness over  the  inactive,  the  weary  aching  over  the 
fatigued,  and  the  sharp  pricking  or  irritative  condi- 
tion, over  those  which  feel  adverse  influences  enable 
me  to  understand  the  mental  and  cerebral  condition 
and  their  causes. 


Later  Developments.  135 

The  complete  knowledge  of  the  condition  of  the 
brain  which  I  derive  from  the  local  sensations  has 
enabled  me  to  compare  mental  and  cerebral  conditions 
and  thus  arrive  by  an  entirely  new  method  at  a 
knowledge  of  the  functions  of  the  brain,  and  verify 
in  the  most  positive  manner,  the  discoveries  which  I 
made  in  1841  and  1842  and  subsequently. 

The  very  positive  manner  in  which  I  speak  of 
cerebral  functions  which  have  been  a  mystery  in  all 
past  centuries  is  due  to  the  four-fold  certainty  which 
I  have  derived  from  cranial  observations  on  men  and 
animals,  from  experiments  in  stimulating  the  organs, 
from  psychometric  exploration  of  the  brain,  and  from 
my  personal  consciousness  of  its  action.  There  are 
two  additional  confirmations  derived  from  the  mathe- 
matical laws  of  Pathognomy  (a  sufficient  basis  alone 
for  cerebral  science),  and  from  the  revelations  of 
Pathology  which  have  been  but  slightly  investigated 
yet  yield  valuable  confirmations.  All  this  is 
expressed  in  my  system  of  Anthropology. 

I  find  that  my  brain  may  be  affected,  not  only  by 
events  or  conditions  with  which  I  am  acquainted,  but 
by  those  which  occur  without  my  knowledge.  The 
region  of  Love  is  especially  liable  to  such  influences. 
Suffering  or  injury  in  the  object  of  affection  is  pain- 
ful to  the  loving  sentiment  and  thereby  affects  the 
locality  of  the  cerebral  organ.  When  a  certain  sen- 
sation arises  in  the  region  of  Love  I  know  that  the 
loved  object  is  suffering  and  when  it  ceases  I  believe 
that  relief  has  occurred.  From  the  position  of  the 
sensation  I  know  with  what  feeling  it  is  associated 
and  thus  am  enabled  to  infer  whether  it  concerns  one 


136  Later  Developments. 

very  intimately  connected  with  me  or  associated  only 
by  friendly  compassion  or  respect.  Hence  I  am 
sometimes  uncertain  as  to  the  persons  but  not  as  to 
the  relation  they  occupy  toward  myself. 

While  this  work  has  been  going  though  the  press 
I  have  vividly  realized  my  sympathy  \vith  the  con- 
dition of  my  patients.  I  was  attending  a  severe  case 
of  dropsy  affecting  the  heart  about  three  miles  from 
my  Boston  residence  which  had  reached  a  critical 
stage  before  I  saw  it  and  had  felt  a  considerable 
degree  of  depression  from  the  influence  of  my  visits. 
During  the  evening  of  the  second  day  about  eleven 
hours  after  my  visit,  I  was  suddenly  made  aware  that 
he  was  suffering  greatly  by  the  sensation  in  the  head 
coming  on  suddenly,  which  gives  me  that  informa- 
tion. It  occurred  at  five  minutes  past  ten  o'clock 
and  subsided  within  ten  minutes,  leaving  a  restless 
feeling  of  depression.  Again  between  four  and  five 
in  the  morning  I  perceived  a  very  restless,  unpleasant 
and  exhausted  condition,  which  induced  me  to  rise 
and  take  something  for  its  relief.  When  I  visited 
him  at  ten  o'clock  I  learned  that  his  condition  corres- 
ponded exactly  to  what  I  felt  at  the  time  of  the 
evening  and  morning  disturbances. 

I  have  had  other  much  more  impressive  illustra- 
trations  of  my  sympathetic  impressibility  in  the  last 
thirty  years.  The  most  severe  and  protracted  affec- 
tion of  the  liver  from  which  I  have  never  entirely 
recovered,  was  a  transference  to  myself  from  a  case 
of  bilious  fever,  which  I  attended  in  1858,  and  my 
most  obstinate  attack  of  bronchial  irritation  was  a 
transference  from  a  patient  who  had  been  coughing 


Later  Developments.  137 

for  twenty  years.  My  sympathetic  impressions  are 
sometimes  prompt  enough  to  give  me  assistance 
in  diagnosis. 

The  acute  sensibility  of  my  head  enables  me  to 
realize  all  influences  that  affect  the  brain,  and  to 
know  at  any  time  the  condition  of  all  the  organs  and 
faculties  by  reference  to  the  superficial  sensations. 
I  believe  from  close  observation  of  my  experience 
that  events  or  conditions  with  which  I  am  not 
acquainted  sometimes  affect  me  in  other  organs 
besides  those  of  friendship  and  love,  and  when  I  feel 
the  sensations  I  generally  know  the  cause. 

It  is  therefore  entirely  credible  to  me  that  in  a 
warm  climate  where  the  entire  community  is  much 
more  impressible  than  myself,  the  whole  commu- 
nity may  be  .moved  at  once  by  any  great  psychic 
influence,  and  a  popular  sentiment  or  passion  affecting 
a  large  number  at  once  may  sway  every  individual 
carrying  all  along  in  one  great  wave  which  is  irresis- 
table,  and  thus  illustrating  the  solidarity  of  the 
community.  It  seemed  to  me  at  the  approach  of  our 
late  civil  war,  such  a  wave  of  sympathetic  and  irre- 
sistable  excitement,  was  sweeping  through  society. 
History  abounds  in  illustrations  of  popular  impulses 
moving  an  entire  community  in  a  way  that  could  not 
be  accounted  for  independent  of  such  sympathy  and 
psychic  contagion. 

These  contagious  influences  my  experiments  show 
have  little  to  do  with  contact  and  are  not  dependent  on 
proximity,  when*  the  psychic  powers  are  active.  I 
have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  they  may  reach 
around  the  globe  and  even  extend  from  planet  to 


138  Later  Developments. 

placet.  If  there  were  many  such  psychometers  as 
Mrs.  B.  aware  of  these  powers  and  trained  to  exer- 
cise them  together  it  would  be  quite  practicable  to 
establish  a  mental  telegraphy  bringing  us  into  com- 
munication with  all  parts  of  the  globe,  conveying  not 
only  the  public  facts  which  go  to  the  telegraph  at 
present,  but  a  great  amount  of  subtle  information  as 
to  the  condition  of  all  parts  of  the  world,  derived  from 
regions  to  which  the  telegraphic  wires  do  not  extend. 
The  New  York  Tribune  a  paper  remarkable  for  its 
conservative  and  illiberal  character,  contained  (March 
18,  1885)  a  remarkable  article  in  reference  to  the 
secret  transmission  of  knowledge  in  India,  headed  as 
follows : 

THE  "  SECRET   MAIL." 

Anglo-Indians,  and  all  who  have  lived  in  Asiatic 
countries,  are  aware  that  the  natives  have  means  of 
conveying  news  which  at  important  junctures  enables 
them  to  forestall  the  Government.  Thus  throughout 
the  Indian  mutiny  the  intelligence  of  all  the  important 
events,  such  as  battles,  captures  of  cities,  massacres 
and  investments,  was  in  possession  of  the  bazaars 
usually  hours  and  frequently  days  before  it  reached 
the  authorities,  and  this  notwithstanding  the  fact  that 
the  latter  had  often  taken  special  measures  to  insure 
the  quickest  transmission  possible.  And  it  is  also 
well-known  that  this  "  secret  mail"  is  so  trustworthy 
that  the  natives  invariably  act  upon  it  with  implicit 
confidence,  speculating,  for  example,  io  the  full  extent 
of  their  fortunes.  How  the  news  is  sent,  however, 
has  never  been  discovered,  or  at  least  no  explanation 


Later  Developments.  139 

comprehensible  or  credible  by  the  average  Western 
mind  has  been  reached.  The  London  Spectator  of  a 
recent  date  discusses  this  question  at  much  length, 
and  suggests  the  employment  by  the  Asiatics  of  care- 
fully laid  "  dawks"  or  stages.  This,  no  doubt  has 
the  appearance  of  a  common-sense  explanation,  but 
the  difficulty  about  it  is  that  no  European,  during  the 
whole  time  Hindustan  has  been  occupied,  has  ever 
seen  such  a  stage  in  operation  or  come  across  any  of 
its  machinery. 

Now  it  may  be  admitted  that  it  is  possible  for  Asi- 
atics to  arrange  such  stages  or  lines  of  communication 
over  hundreds  or  thousands  of  miles  without  being 
discovered ;  but  it  is  certainly  extremely  improbable 
that  they  should  have  been  able  to  do  this  on  the  con- 
siderable scale  it  must  have  been  done  to  account  for 
the  facts  without  ever  being  discovered. 

Again,  the  circumstance  that  on  one  occasion,  when 
the  Government  had  made  special  arrangements  for 
the  swift  despatch  of  news  from  a  distant  point,  the 
"secret  mail  "beat  the  Government  coursers  twelve 
hours,  appears  to  warrant  the  conclusion  that  some 
means  of  communication  more  rapid  than  horses  or 
runners  must  be  at  the  disposal  of  the  natives.  The 
Spectator  thinks  it  possible  that  they  transmit  news 
by  signal ;  but  while  this  may  be  the  case  where  com- 
paratively short  distances  are  concerned,  it  is  not  appli- 
cable to  routes  covering  several  hundreds  of  miles. 
Anglo-Indians  as  a  rule  refuse  to  accept  the  native 
explanation  of  the  "  secret  mail,"  which  involves  be- 
lief in  what  is  just  now  being  called  telepathy.  The 
natives,  when  they  are  willing  to  talk  of  the  matter  at 


i^o  Later  Developments. 

all,  which  is  very  seldom  to  Western  men,  say  that 
neither  horses  nor  men  are  employed,  and  that  no 
"  dawk  "  is  laid  for  the  carrying  of  news,  but  that  it 
results  from  a  system  of  thought  transmission  which  is 
as  familiar  to  them  as  the  electric  telegraph  is  to  us. 

The  interest  of  this  subject  consists  in  the  facts  (i) 
mat  the  kk  secret  mail  "  is  an  indubitable  reality,  and 
(2)  that  no  European  or  Western  observer  of  any 
kind  has  thus  far  succeeded  in  finding  even  a  plausi- 
ble solution  of  the  mystery  ;  for  with  all  its  ingenuity, 
the  explanation  offered  by  the  writer  in  the  Spectator 
is  not  plausible." 

It  is  certainly  highly  discreditable  to  Western  intel- 
ligence that  its  leaders  are  puzzled  by  such  phenom- 
ena w^hile  there  are  thousands  who  understand  the 
subject  in  our  midst,  and  its  illustrations  have  often 
been  given. 

Even  if  our  illustrations  were  limited  to  the  per- 
sonal experience  of  the  dogmatic  and  skeptical  med- 
ical profession,  there  would  be  abundant  illustrations 
of  telepathic  sympathy  if  the  facts  could  be  brought 
out.  The  late  Dr.  John  F.  Gray  of  New  York,  one 
of  the  most  eminent  and  skilful  in  the  city,  resided  at 
the  Fifth  Avenue  Hotel.  Having  a  patient  in  Jersey 
City  whom  he  wished  to  see  to  ascertain  his  condition 
he  turned  aside  from  his  company,  and  fixed  his 
mind  intently  upon  the  man.  He  obtained  an  impres- 
sion of  his  condition,  and  was  satisfied  that  he  was 
improving.  But  something  much  more  remarkable 
followed.  The  man  was  still  more  susceptible,  and 
believed  that?  he  was  visited  by  Dr.  Gray  in  person  at 
that  time.  When  he  called  on  Dr.  Gray  after  his  re- 


Later  Developments.  141 

covery  he  affirmed  that  Dr.  G.  had  visited  him  at  the 
hour  of  this  psychometric  observation,  had  looked  at 
him  silently  and  withdrew  without  saying  a  word, 
which  he  considered  rather  singular.  He  could  not 
be  convinced  that  he  was  mistaken  by  the  positive 
denial  of  the  doctor.  Dr.  Gray,  who  stated  these 
facts  to  myself,  had  many  similar  experiences.  On 
one  occasion  while  driving  around  the  city  profession- 
ally, he  had  a  sudden  impression  that  he  was  needed 
by  a  lady  patient.  He  impetuously  ordered  his  driver 
to  turn  round  and  drive  at  full  speed  to  her  residence. 
When  he  arrived  within  a  block  of  the  house  he  saw 
her  husband  hatless  in  the  street,  rushing  after  medi- 
cal assistance.  He  arrived,  leaped  out,  rushed  up  to 
her  room  and  was  barely  in  time  to  save  her  from 
dying  of  hemorrhage. 

As  to  the  subtle  powers  of  Mrs.  B.  I  have  had  daily 
illustration  for  years.  When  I  place  anything  in  her 
hands  it  is  a  common  amusement  to  require  her  to 
describe  it  before  seeing.  I  frequently  hold  a  picture 
over  head,  to  demand  her  description  by  impression, 
and  sometimes  place  her  hand  on  a  book  and  demand 
her  opinion  of  its  character  which  is  sometimes  more 
just  than  a  reviewer's  estimate.  I  have  even  held  her 
own  picture  over  her  head  and  thus  procured  from 
her  a  correct  and  judicious  description  of  herself, 
which  she  gave  without  suspicion,  as  the  psychome- 
ter  is  too  closely  engaged  in  observing  the  qualities 
which  he  describes  to  enquire  into  the  identity  of  the 
party  described.  Bayard  Taylor  has  mentioned  a 
similar  incident  in  reference  to  a  New  York  artist, 
who  possessed  the  psychometric  power.  One  of  his 


142  Later  Developments. 

friends  placed  his  own  letter  in  his  hands  and 
obtained  from  him  so  searching  and  critical  a 
description  of  himself  that  he  did  not  venture  to  let 
him  know  that  it  was  his  own  letter. 

I  have  had  every  possible  evidence  of  the  con- 
tinual presence  in  Mrs.  B.  of  her  high  powers,  even 
when  she  has  none  of  the  conditions  which  sensitives 
require  for  their  best  action.  I  have  been  accustomed 
to  approach  her  at  any  time  when  she  is  using  the 
needle  or  engaged  in  domestic  cares  and  protesting 
against  being  taxed  when  in  an  unintellectual  mood, 
yet  never  has  she  failed  to  show  that  the  faculty  is 
inseparable  from  her  nature. 

Under  these  unfavorable  circumstances  she  would 
give  me  a  just  opinion  of  a  picture  held  above  her 
head,  and  speak  of  its  resemblance  or  difference  from 
the  original  whose  appearance  she  would  describe. 
Mollie  Fancher,  the  famous  fasting  lady  of  Brooklyn, 
exercises  such  powers,  doing  delicate  work  without 
the  use  of  her  eyes  and  describing  things  about  the 
house  while  she  is  confined  to  her  bed. 

Mrs.  B.  has  frequently  involuntary  impressions  as 
to  persons  before  she  has  met  them.  When  sitting 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  house  she  has  had  very 
decided  feelings  in  reference  to  persons  who  have 
entered  on  the  lower  floor.  An  amusing  illustration 
occurred  once  when  the  visitor  was  equally  impres- 
sional ;  she  felt  uneasy  at  his  presence  and  had  a 
strong  desire  that  he  should  leave.  He  had  never 
seen  her,  but  he  felt  that  a  lady  wished  to  take  him 
by  the  arm  and  lead  him  out  of  the  house.  When 
he  stated  this  and  described  the  appearance  of  the 


Later  Developments*  143 

lady,  correctly  describing  Mrs.  B.,  I  thought  it  an 
amusing  and  remarkable  incident. 

In  the  daily  presence  of  psychometric  phenomena, 
and  with  a  strong  desire  to  exercise  the  power,  I  have 
had  but  glimmerings  of  the  faculty. 

The  most  distinct  impression  that  I  ever  obtained 
from  manuscript  was  nearty  forty  years  ago,  when  I 
received  an  impression  from  the  autograph  of  Gen. 
Washington,  the  effect  of  which  was  so  great  that 
I  could  perceive  a  marked  difference  in  my  manner 
of  lecturing  in  the  evening  following  the  experiment ; 
I  was  disposed  to  speak  in  a  calm  and  very  syste- 
matic manner  quite  different  from  my  usual  mode.  I 
have  sometimes  felt  a  faint  influence  from  photographs 
when  I  did  not  know  whom  they  represented,  and 
once  to  test  my  capacities  in  1878,  I  took  a  photo- 
graph of  Wordsworth  and  thought  I  felt  a  shadow  of 
his  peculiar  intellectuality.  I  tried  the  photograph  of 
Shakespeare  and  as  I  held  it  before  my  forehead  it 
produced  a  distinct  feeling  of  activity  and  a  tension 
over  the  occiput  generally,  indicating  an  active  and 
forcible  temperament,  and  impressive  character. 
Twice  I  repeated  the  experiment  at  intervals,  and 
thus  obtained  three  times  a  certainty  that  it  conveyed 
a  strong  psychic  impression.  My  strongest  impres- 
sions, however,  are  those  which  I  feel  when  a  good 
psychometer  is  giving  a  psychometric  description  of 
a  marked  character.  My  sympathy  is  often  so  keen 
that  I  acquire  a  positive  conception  of  the  leading 
traits  of  character' independent  of  any  remarks  by 
the  psychometer. 

During  the   summer  when   I   felt  the  influence  of 


144  Later  Developments. 

Gen.  Washington  so  distinctly  I  felt  an  equally  posi- 
tive influence  from  a  letter  of  John  C.  Calhoun,  the 
statesman  of  South  Carolina,  which  gave  me  a  new 
conception  of  his  character.  The  influence  seemed 
not  like  that  of  a  politician  or  a  man  for  the  multi- 
tude, but  rather  that  of  a  purely  intellectual  man,  a 
lucid  thinker. 

In  1878  Madame  Blavatsky  gave  me  some  manu- 
script from  India  to  ascertain  my  impressions  from 
contact.  The  influence  on  my  brain  from  the  fore- 
head was  sufficient  to  induce  me  to  describe  the 
writer  as  a  bold  philosophic  and  religious  leader  who 
might  in  some  repects  compare  with  Luther.  She 
was  pleased  with  my  remarks  and  thought  them 
worth  recording  to  send  abroad. 

Since  then  I  have  frequently  used  the  photographs 
and  pictures  of  the  departed,  and  felt  that  I  obtained 
an  impression  of  their  characters,  and  felt  their  influ- 
ence so  much  as  to  give  me  a  conception  of  the  char- 
acter of  the  individual  sufficiently  clear  and  positive  to 
guide  my  opinion.  These  psychometric  impressions, 
however,  were  clouded  by  the  doubt  whether  the  re- 
sult was  not  partly  or  in  some  cases  entirely  due  to 
my  knowledge  of  the  name  of  the  individual,  and 
although  my  impressions  of  Washington,  Jackson, 
Clay,  Queen  Elizabeth,  Josephine,  Joan  of  Arc, 
Madame  Roland,  St.  Peter,  St.  John,  Patrick  Henry, 
and  many  others  were  distinct  mental  realities,  I  was 
not  sure  that  I  could  have  attained  such  impressions 
without  knowing  the  name,  until  I  made  experiments 
in  the  manner  which  satisfied  me. 

A  photograph  was  given  me  (Oct.  10,  1881)  which 


Later  Developments.  ±45 

without  seeing  it  gave  me  the  impression  of  a  young 
man  of  good  mind  but  of  predominant  activity  in  the 
energetic  and  ambitious  faculties,  and  engrossed  in 
business.  The  description  was  recognized  as  correct 
by  one  intimately  acquainted  with  him.  An  hour  later 
Gen.  B.  handed  a  manuscript  which  I  placed  on  my 
forehead  which  gave  me  a  distinct  conception  of  a 
man  about  sixty  years  of  age  with  a  large  brain  and 
body,  of  a  solid,  stable  character  and  ample  under- 
standing and  business  capacity,  not  at  all  impulsive, 
but  cool,  judicious  and  capable  of  understanding  and 
managing  large  affairs.  This  perception  was  quite 
distinct,  and  Gen.  B.  said  very  correct. 

I  have  often  attempted  to  realize  a  character  by 
concentrated  attention  without  any  physical  connect- 
ing link  and  sometimes  have  appeared  to  be  quite  suc- 
cessful and  even  to  have  discovered  the  mood  of  the 
individual  at  the  time.  I  have  had  similar  impressions 
in  reference  to  the  departed,  and  sometimes  had  them 
confirmed  by  good  psychometers. 

I  have  related  this  personal  experience  because  it 
may  be  encouraging  to  the  millions  whose  endow- 
ments in  this  line  are  about  equal  to  my  own,  and  who 
would  not  suppose  themselves  to  have  any  capability 
without  encouragement. 

The  power  of  understanding  and  describing  any- 
thing of  which  the  name  is  placed  in  the  hand  is  so 
marvelous  that  I  have  been  continually  tempted  to  test 
it  in  various  ways. 

Seeing  in  a  magazine  a  short  description  of  an  Ital- 
ian in  this  country,  Angelo  Cardela  of  Nevada,  speak- 
ing of  his  physical  exploits,  and  expressing  the  opin- 


146  Later  Developments. 

ion  that  he  was  the  strongest  man  in  the  world,  I  took 
the  first  opportunity  to  place  the  name  in  her  hand 
and  ask  her  to  describe  the  person. 

Her  first  remark  was  that  it  took  her  into  antiquity 
(into  the  time  of  Claudius,  the  gladiator)  and  then 
back  to  modern  times.  "  There  's  not  much  repose  of 
character  —  there  's  excitability  and  unrest  —  confu- 
sion and  unsettled  condition  —  I  feel  entirely  safe  — 
there  is  no  feeling  of  fear  but  a  sort  of  discontent." 

Not  knowing  anything  of  his  life  I  asked  her  to  dis- 
cribe  his  person.  She  said  :  "  this  is  a  large  person 
in  physical  development — a  large  person,  of  capa- 
cious brain  —  a  matured  person,  perliaps  of  sixty 
years.  He  has  a  remarkably  strong  constitution  - — a 
good  deal  of  muscular  strength,  no  nervous  weakness 

—  is  very  solid  and  firm  —  can  stand  a  good  deal  of 
labor,  mental  and  physical.     He  has  broad  shoulders, 
great  strength  in  arms  and  lower  limbs,  large  thighs 

—  great    endurance.     He    is   remarkably   cool,   does 
nothing    rash  —  does  many    things    others    cannot  — 
feats  of  muscular  strength.     He   could  perform  feats 
of  lifting.      (How  does  he  compare  with  other  men?) 
There  is  no  comparison  —  where  others  could  lift  two 
hundred,   he   could  lift  eight  hundred.     He   is   very 
muscular,  his  loins  are  strong  —  he  could  lift  with  his 
teeth.     He   has  pride   in   his  strength   and  has  great 
will  power  too.     I  see   great  beams   and  timbers  —  it 
carries  me  back  to  Sampson —  I   think  he  is  as  great 
a   miracle   in  modern,  as  Sampson   in   ancient   times. 

His   movements    too    are    graceful  —  he  lifts  without 

9 

appearing  to  make  an  effort.  He  could  lift  six  men 
or  more  if  he  could  get  hold  of  them.  His  strength 


Later  Developments.  147 

is  in  his  shoulders  and  hips.  His  bones  are  very 
large.  He  is  very  good  natured." 

The  account  which  I  read,  given  by  R.  A.  Proctor, 
described  him  as  a  good  natured  Italian  laborer  with 
"a  noble  development  of  chest  and  shoulders,"  and 
spoke  of  his  lifting  a  man  of  200  pounds  to  the  top  of 
a  table  by  putting  the  third  finger  under  his  foot 
"  with  scarcely  a  perceptible  effort."  It  also  stated 
that  he  was  attacked  by  two  powerful  Irishmen,  "  but 
he  seized  one  in  each  hand  and  beat  them  together, 
till  life  was  nearly  hammered  out  of  them."  He  is, 
however,  of  a  quiet  and  peaceable  disposition.  Her 
conjecture  as  to  his  age  was  about  fifteen  years  too 
much,  but  that  was  only  an  inference  from  his  matu- 
rity. She  saw  his  broad,  good-natured  countenance 
and  staid  manner,  and  conjectured  his  age  from  the 
appearance  and  feeling.  She  is  seldom  accurate  as 
to  age. 

In  the  early  years  of  Psychometry,  the  dominant 
idea  was  that  of  a  direct  emanative  connection  or  rap- 
port which  enabled  the  psychometer  to  give  descrip- 
tions, as  when  holding  a  medicine  in  the  hand  or 
describing  a  character  from  the  impression  given  by 
an  autograph. 

In  these  experiments,  however,  there  were  manifest 
indications  of  a  wider  range  of  power  than  could  be 
traced  to  any  aura.  Medicines  yielded  a  full  impres- 
sion of  their  character  when  securely  corked  in  vials, 
showing  that  the  impression  imparted  was  due  to  no 
appreciable  material  emanation.  A  blank  sheet  of 
paper  which  had  been  lying  in  contact  with  an  auto- 
graph would  sometimes  give  a  distinct  impression  of 
of  the  writer. 


148  Later  Developments. 

The  possibility  of  writing  imparting  a  sufficient 
psychic  influence  to  blank  paper  lying  in  contact 
with  it  to  give  an  impression  of  the  writer,  required 
decisive  experiments  for  its  demonstration  ;  of  course 
we  should  not  expect  as  prompt,  forcible  and  clear 
an  influence  from  that  blank  paper  as  from  the  auto- 
graph. 

About  thirty  years  ago  I  obtained  an  autograph  of 
Carlyle  —  a  letter  written  to  an  anti-corn  law  meet- 
ing, or  society,  in  which  he  expressed  himself 
vigorously  against  obstructive  legislation.  A  small 
portion  of  this  autograph  had  been  kept  many  years, 
wrapped  in  a  piece  of  blank  paper.  I  tore  off  a 
piece  of  the  blank  paper  which  had  been  in  contact 
with  the  writing  and  placed  it  in  her  hands,  recently, 
for  an  opinion.  The  impressions  were  not  quite  as 
distinct  and  accurate  as  those  from  his  photograph  — 
especially  in  reference  to  time,  but  they  were  sub- 
stantially the  same  in  character,  and  correct  as  an 
estimate  of  the  man.  They  were  as  follows : 

"  This  takes  me  back  twenty-five  or  thirty  years. 
I  should  think  the  writing  was  by  a  male.  It  brings 
me  into  rapport  with  a  bright  mind,  a  clear  intellect 
of  a  great  deal  of  force. 

"  It  seems  to  me  like  a  business  production,  princi- 
pally, but  possibly  some  social  question  was  con- 
cerned. I  think  it  has  to  do  with  political  economy 
—  not  a  common  friendly  letter. 

,"  It  is  a  mind  that  would  grasp  themes  of  impor- 
tance to  the  country  and  take  a  radical  view  in  favor 
of  reform.  It  is  a  very  vigorous  mind,  uncommonly 
.' •<•>.  He  would  rouse  the  faculties  of  all  who  listen  to 


Later  Developments.  149 

"I  think  he  is  not  living  now — he  passed  away 
many  years  ago  —  I  think  this  was  written  forty  odd 
years  ago  —  I  think  he  passed  away  twenty-five  or 
thirty  years  ago,  perhaps. 

"  I  think  he  wrote  a  great  deal  on  governmental 
questions  —  he  was  a  partisan.  I  think  he  might 
have  been  a  lawyer,  or  at  least  acquainted  with 
jurisprudence.  He  was  certainly  not  a  minister. 
There  was  not  much  theology  about  him,  though  he 
had  some  religion,  yet  he  was  not  really  settled  in 
his  own  mind.  He  wrote  and  addressed  the  public 
-  he  wrote  no  trashy  things ;  he  had  a  variety  of 
themes. 

(What  was  his  domestic  life?)  I  think  he  had 
a  good  wife.  I  do  not  think  he  was  very  agreeable 
in  society  —  rather  morose  and  terse.  He  was  not  a 
genial  and  good-natured  man  in  his  family.  He  lived 
more  in  the  intellectual  than  the  social.  He  was  not 
a  jovial  man  —  never  laughed  much  —  not  given  to 
joking  —  but  had  a  vein  of  sarcasm  that  he  used  as  a 
weapon. 

(What  capacities  had  he  as  a  literary  man?)  I 
can't  see  that  he  was  a  poet.  He  wrote  generally  on 
solid  matters,  but  not  on  medicine.  He  had  an  easy 
flowing  style,  which  made  his  articles  attractive. 
He  was  an  educator  of  the  people. 

(What  reputation  did  he  attain?)  He  had  an 
enviable  name.  He  was  an  authority  on  many  sub- 
jects. He  overtaxed  himself  a  great  deal. 

(How  long  did  he  live?)  He  was  not  sick  long  in 
his  last  illness.  I  think  he  was  about  sixty,  or  at 
least  he  did  not  do  much  work  after  that  age,  but  he 
lived  longer  than  that  in  a  more  quiet  way. 


150  Later  Developments. 

(What  country  did  he  belong  to?)  He  was  either 
French  or  English.  He  was  familiar  with  both 
languages.  I  think  the  English  was  his  mother 
tongue. 

(Can  you  guess  his  name?)     Not  now. 

In  the  foregoing  opinion  I  think  the  date  of  the 
letter  was  correctly  given.  The  portion  containing 
the  date  has  been  mislaid,  but  it  was  written  in  the 
midst  of  the  anti-corn  law  agitation,  which  extended 
from  1837  to  1846.  The  death  of  Carlyle  was 
located  too  far  back,  probably  from  the  influence 
of  the  old  letter  carrying  the  mind  back.  We 
should  not  expect  mathematical  accuracy  when  there 
was  nothing  to  guide  the  impression  but  the  influence 
imparted  by  contact  to  blank  paper.  Such  influences 
are  not  imaginary,  though  they  elude  all  other  senses 
but  the  psychometric. 

All  material  substances  are  affected  by  contact. 
The  presence  of  a  third  substance  causes  chemical 
changes  which  will  not  take  place  without  it.  This, 
which  is  called  catalysis,  is  one  of  the  wonders  of 
chemistry.  It  shows  that  the  chemical  condition  and 
action  of  compound  bodies  is  affected  by  whatever  is 
adjacent.  Hence  if  there  is  anything  in  an  autograph 
which  can  affect  the  psychometer  it  must  have  an 
influence  on  adjacent  substances.  We  can  make  a 
still  more  strong  illustration  of  this  law  of  contact 
between  dry  substances  in  which  no  chemical  change 
that  we  can  detect  has  occurred.  If  we  lay  a  wafer 
on  a  sheet  of  cold  polished  metal  and  breathe  upon 
it  so  that  the  moisture  of  the  breath  shall  be  con- 
densed on  the  metal,  the  metal  retains  the  impressions 


Later  Developments.  151 

thus  made ;  for,  after  removing  the  wafer,  if  we 
breathe  on  the  metal  again,  the  moisture  will  appear 
only  on  the  part  that  was  not  covered  by  the  wafer. 
The  dry  space  testifies  to  the  lingering  influences  of 
the  wafer.  Mr.  G.  H.  Lewes  says  that  he  has  even 
"brushed  the  surface  of  the  polished  plate  with  a 
camel's  hair  brush,  and  yet  on  breathing  upon  it,  the 
image  of  a  coin  previously  laid  upon  it  was  distinctly 
visible." 

This  seems  to  be  a  general  law  of  nature ;  metallic 
plates  or  metallic  bodies  when  in  contact  exert  an 
influence  on  each  other  which  may  be  demonstrated, 
and  we  are  authorized  by  facts  to  make  this  general 
statement  —  all  bodies  in  proximity  are  subject  to  the 
transmitted  influence  of  their  neighbors,  probably 
caused  or  increased  by  insensible  electric  currents, 
from  which  no  locality  is  exempt.  We  are  induced 
to  ascribe  much  of  the  effect  to  electricity  by  the  fact 
so  often  demonstrated  that  a  flash  of  lightning  strik- 
ing a  tree  and  thence  diverging  to  strike  with  fatal 
effect  some  person  near  it,  frequently  impresses  the 
image  of  the  tree  on  the  skin,  and  it  is  found  on  the 
corpse.  The  instantaneous  result  follows  from  the 
powerful  flash,  but  insensible  currents  operating  a 
longer  time  may  produce  a  complete  transference  of 
images.  An  amalgamated  copper  plate  has  been 
placed  upon  an  iodized  silver  plate,  between  which 
an  engraving  was  placed  with  its  face  downward 
toward  the  silver  plate.  Fifteen  hours  afterwards  the 
impression  of  the  engraving  was  found  transferred 
through  the  paper  upwards  to  the  upper  plate.  Nor 
are  the  impressions  £hus  produced  entirely  superficial. 


152  Later  Developments. 

They  penetrate  the  substance  and  photographers 
know  that  it  is  difficult  to  remove  from  a  plate  the 
impression  once  made  by  a  picture. 

It  is  upon  these  laws  of  catalysis  and  emanation 
operating  in  contact  or  proximity,  that  all  the  phe- 
nomena of  animal  life  depend.  It  is  thus  that 
foreign  substance  is  continually  imported  into  the 
body  and  invested  with  vital  powers  by  contact  and 
proximity  with  vitalized  structures  in  which  the  soul 
power  is  present.  The  transfer  of  influence  from  an 
autograph  to  blank  paper  is  no  more  remarkable  than 
its  first  transference  from  the  writer  to  the  autograph. 
Influences  are  continually  radiant  from  any  part  of 
our  surface.  Cerebral  organs  approximated  by  a 
small  metallic  rod  touching  the  surface  of  the  scalp, 
give  an  accurate  impression  of  the  minute  locality 
touched. 

The  psychometer,  in  describing  an  autograph, 
sometimes  portrays  not  only  the  writer  but  the  per- 
son in  his  mind  to  whom  he  was  writing,  and  even 
a  third  party  of  whom  he  was  writing.  A  portrait 
would  convey  an  idea  both  of  the  person  portrayed 
and  the  artist,  and  a  landscape  would  bring  the 
scene  itself  before  the  imagination. 

Hence  I  began  to  experiment  with  photographs 
and  engravings,  and  discovered  that  every  picture 
gave  a  good  impression  of  the  original  to  the  fingers 
of  the  psychometer,  or  if  held  on  the  forehead,  or 
even  near  the  head.  The  convenience  of  this  method 
made  it  a  favorite,  as  it  kept  the  psychometer  entirely 
unacquainted  with  what  he  was  describing,  not  know- 
ing what  the  object  was,  that  was  held  over  his  head. 


Later  Developments.  153 

In  many  cases  I  have  used  this  method  very  hap- 
pily for  therapeutic  purposes,  when  the  character  was 
one  capable  of  benefiting  the  patient  by  its  invigora- 
ting or  soothing  power. 

There  was  not  in  such  cases  any  emanation  from 
the  person  described,  and  the  picture  was  merely  the 
presentation  of  an  idea  to  be  grasped  by  the  intuitive 
perception,  which  is  independent  of  vision.  The 
picture  was  not  perceived  by  anything  like  a  visual 
power,  but  embodied  a  conception  (in  such  a  way  as 
to  be  grasped  by  the  intuitive  faculty)  of  the  person 
represented. 

Hence  it  became  apparent  that  the  object  for 
Psychometry  was  in  such  cases  simply  an  index 
leading  the  mind  to  the  object  represented,  and  need 
not  be  a  picture,  a  relic  or  anything  associated  in  any 
way  with  the  person  or  thing  to  be  explored.  Acting 
upon  this  view  I  wrote  the  name  of  a  friend  and 
placed  it  in  the  hands  of  a  good  psychometer,  who 
had  no  difficulty,  notwithstanding  her  doubts  of  so 
novel  a  proceeding,  in  giving  as  good  a  description 
of  the  character  of  Dr.  N.  as  if  she  had  made  the 
description  from  an  autograph. 

After  that  experiment,  my  operations  were  greatly 
facilitated  and  extended.  No  picture,  autograph  01 
relic. being  needed.  I  was  accustomed  to  extend  my 
inquiries  to  ancient  and  modern  historical  characters, 
public  men  and  every  person  in  whose  character  I 
was  interested,  as  well  as  localities  which  I  wished 
to  have  described. 

As  the  subject  for  psychometric  experiments  need 
not  be  the  person  nor  anything  that  has  emanated 


154  Later  Developments. 

from  him,  but  simply  the  expression  of  his  existence 
by  a  word  or  an  index  to  direct  the  mind,  it  does  not 
appear  that  psychometric  exploration  is  hindered  by 
distance  and  disconnection,  and  I  could  not  affirm 
that  even  the  contact  of  the  fingers  with  the  index  or 
starting  point  of  the  exploration  is  necessary  to  those 
who  are  highly  endowed. 

This  enables  us  to  present  experiments  in  a  very 
convincing  way.  For  example,  having  in  my  posses- 
sion a  number  of  very  remarkable  pictures,  on  slates, 
made  by  spiritual  power  on  the  inside  of  a  pair  of 
slates  under  my  own  supervision,  I  have  had  no 
difficulty  in  having  them  described  by  placing  the 
slate  on  a  table,  face  downward,  and  having  the 
psychometer  place  a  hand  on  the  vacant  upper  side 
of  the  slate.  The  descriptions  given  in  this  manner 
have  been  as  remarkable  as  any  I  have  ever  had, 
not  differing  in  freedom  and  correctness  from  those 
made  by  touching  photographs. 

September  10,  1884,  to  illustrate  the  power  of 
obtaining  impressions  from  the  back  of  the  paper  on 
which  a  name  is  written,  I  wrote  the  names  of  the 
presidential  candidates,  Cleveland,  Blaine  and  But- 
ler, on  three  small  pieces  of  brown  paper,  and  laid 
them  on  the  back  of  a  book,  with  the  blank  side 
uppermost,  requesting  her  to  touch  each  of  them  and 
give  her  opinion  of  the  parties  as  presidential  candi- 
dates. She  did  so,  and  gave  her  impressions  readily. 

The  first  she  promptly  decided  had  very  little 
chance  of  election,  and  thought  that  if  he  was 
elected  he  would  be  very  democratic  in  his  ways 
and  'would  not  give  'general  •  satisfaetiotai','  though'  he 


Later  Developments.  155 

would  endeavor  to  do  his  duty ;  this  was  Gen.  But- 
ler. The  second  made  an  agreeable  impression ; 
seemed  bright  and  able,  and  a  great  partisan ;  this 
was  Blaine.  The  third,  she  thought,  had  the  best 
prospect  of  election,  and  would,  if  elected,  perform 
his  duties  faithfully,  though  not  as  attractive  or  able 
as  the  second. 

Still  there  is  an  impairment  of  the  facility  by  every 
step  of  separation.  A  photograph  is  not  as  facile  as 
a  writing,  —  a  word  is  not  as  satisfactory  as  an  auto- 
graph. But  superior  powers  overcome  all  difficulties 
and  photographs  or  writings  may  be  described  with- 
out touching  them  as  they  lie  on  the  table  before  us. 
Yet  it  is  not  judicious  to  tax  the  psychometric  faculty 
for  such  feats  unnecessarily.  Mrs.  B.  desires  always 
to  assist  her  perceptions  by  the  touch  of  the  object  and 
objects  to  sealed  letters  though  she  has  often  described 
letters  in  envelopes.  A.  letter  sent  to  her  carefully 
sealed  conveys  at  once  the  unpleasant  impression  of 
the  critical  and  suspicious  feeling  of  the  sender,  and  is 
therefore  a  disturbing,  irritating  influence.  Hence 
she  declines  receiving  such  communications  which  her 
fingers  cannot  touch. 

Some  years  ago  she 'received  a  letter  closed  by  five 
seals  for  psychometric  description  and  declined  to  try 
it ;  but  subsequently,  probably  feeling  the  candid  and 
courteous  spirit  of  the  sender,  she  concluded  to  try, 
notwithstanding  her  diffidence,  and  sent  her  opinion 
with  the  sealed  letter  to  the  correspondent.  In  return 
she  received  a  letter  of  ten  foolscap  pages  elaborately 
illustrating  the  minute  correctness  of  the  description, 
which  was  made  still  more  remarkable  by  the  fact 


156  Later  Developments. 

that  instead  of  being  one  writing  as  she  supposed,  art- 
other  writing  had  been  inserted  written  by  a  friend 
and  reputed  medium,  which  led  her  to  say:  "  I  am 
constantly  taken  to  the  sphere  of  another  person,  who 
is  interested  in  the  writer ;  there  is  such  a  blending  I 
am  unable  to  feel  clearly  each  distinct  individuality." 
This  character  she  did  not  attempt  to  describe,  not 
knowing  that  the  impression  came  from  the  enclosed 
manuscript.  Her  correspondent  thought  this  emi- 
nently satisfactory.  He  made  the  experiment  in  that 
way,  expecting  that  it  would  produce  confusion  of 
mind  and  give  a  more  perfect  test. 

What  wonderful  exhibitions  of  psychic  penetration 
may  occur  hereafter  cannot  be  predicted.  Psychometry 
is  the  earthly  IRRADIATION  OF*  OMNISCIENCE  and  it  will 
be  known  hereafter  that  it  can  penetrate  all  things.  To 
take  in  hand  a  mineral  and  describe  the  locality 
from  which  it  came,  the  surrounding  country,  climate, 
people  and  animals,  the  subterranean  strata  and  even 
the  past  geological  history  of  the  locality  is  a  perform- 
ance in  which  Mrs.  B.  sometimes  shows  her  powers, 
though  not  fond  of  the  more  laborious  effort  which  it 
requires.  The  family  of  Prot.  Denton  have  been  es- 
pecially distinguished  by  their  remarkable  success  in 
such  explorations,  and  there  is  no  lack  of  such  power 
among  sensitives.  I  have  the  minutes  of  a  mineral  ex- 
amination by  Mrs.  R.  in  which  she  was  carried  back 
to  the  period  in  which  a  mastodon  was  mired  to  death 
and  went  through  the  whole  scene. 

Does  not  such  experience  as  this  assure  us  that  in 
Psychometry  we  have  the  key  to  unlock  the  hidden 
wealth  of  mineral  strata?  How  great  then  must  be 


Later  Developments.  157 

its  FINANCIAL  IMPORTANCE.  The  \vorlcTs  gold  has 
probably  cost  all  that  it  is  worth,  in  the  labor  of  explo- 
ration and  mining,  more  than  half  the  labor  having 
been  abortive  for  want  of  intuitive  guidance. 

Some  enterprising  genius  will  hereafter  give  practi- 
cal demonstration  to  this.  My  own  life  is  absorbed  in 
the  financially  unprofitable  labors  of  the  reformer. 

As  it  became  apparent  that  geographical  and  his- 
torical questions  were  robbed  of  their  difficulty  and 
mystery,  I  directed  my  attention  to  those  in  which  I 
felt  an  interest. 

There  is  one  theme  of  transcendent  interest  to  all 
rational  beings  who  feel  at  the  same  time  a  controlling 
sense  of  duty,  a  reverence  for  the  vast  unknown 
from  which  our  own  existence  springs,  a  sense  of  our 
own  possibility  of  nobler  things  than  life  affords  at 
present,  and  a  yearning  to  pass  beyond  the  barriers 
that  limit  human  knowledge  within  the  petty  bounds 
of  recorded  science  and  history. 

Systems  of  religion  come  with  lofty  claims  to  oui 
faith,  enforced  too  often  by  arbitrary  power  and 
social  proscription.  But  the  systems  of  religion, 
although  they  undertake  to  solve  the  mystery  of  the 
Universe,  and  although  they  present  ethical  doctrines 
which  command  our  reverence,  illustrated  bv  many 
noble  lives,  have  never  yet  offered  a  system  of  doc- 
trine or  philosophy  that  would  endure  an  hour's  criti- 
cal questioning  by  one  who  thinks  with  untrammelled 
freedom.  The  independent  thinker  can  neither  reject 
the  virtuous  elements  of  all  religions,  nor  accept  their 
doctrinal  perversions  of  truth. 

Psychometry  offered  the  facile  method  of  determin- 


158  Later  Developments. 

ing  whether  the  world's  religions  were  founded  in 
truth  and  worthy  of  reverence,^  or  founded  in  delusion 
and  fraud,  and  destined  to  oblivion  as  a  relic  of  bar- 
barism. The  names  of  the  founders  and  teachers  of 
all  religions  being  accessible  it  \vas  necessary  only  to 
subject  them  to  psychometric  investigation  to  learn 
their  moral  and  intellectual  worth,  the  true  story  of 
their  lives  and  the  real  foundation  of  their  claims. 

Upon  this  view  I  acted  by  obtaining  a  critical  view 
of  Confucius,  Buddha,  Krishna,  Laou-tsze,  Zoroaster, 
Moses,  Jesus,  the  twelve  apostles  and  other  represen- 
tatives of  the  Christian  movement,  including  more 
modern  lives,  such  as  those  of  Joan  of  Arc,  George 
Fox  and  Swedenborg. 

This  investigation  carries  us  into  the  marvelous 
and  miraculous  realm  of  inter-communication  between 
the  visible  and  invisible  worlds  —  into  the  question  of 
the  reality  of  the  astounding  events  recorded  in 
religious  history,  and  the  comparative  value  or 
truthfulness  of  religious  systems.  It  opens  up  a 
subject  too  large  for  presentation  in  this  volume, 
devoted  to  a  statement  of  psychometric  science ;  but 
I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying  that  it  has  increased 
my  respect  and  love  for  the  founders  of  the  Chris- 
tian system,  and  my  respect  for  the  historic  value  of 
the  Bible.  The  primitive  Christian  movement 
appears  to  me  the  noblest  impulse  that  has  ever 
been  given  to  humanity.  It's  influence  is  felt  to- 
day, and  Psychometry  brings  it  very  near.  If  all 
scholarship  were  lost,  and  all  historical  records  and 
monuments  destroyed,  Psychometry  alone  could 
revive  and  preserve  all  the  important  truth  of 


Later  Developments.  159 

sacred  history.  In  a  second  volume  this  subject 
will  be  fully  presented,  and  I  think  it  will  be  made 
clear  that  Psychometry  leads  us  out  of  all  doubt 
and  darkness  into  the  final  religion  of  enlightened 
humanity. 

After  such  investigations  we  are  prepared  to  take 
a  more  profound  view  of  the  philosophy  of  Psychome- 
try than  was  indicated  by  our  first  experiments  in 
which  emanations  and  influences  were  recognized. 

In  the  higher  class  of  phenomena  there  is  no  feel- 
ing or  perception  of  a  delicate  emanation.  The 
picture  or  the  word  simply  tells  of  the  thing  to  be 
explored,  and  gives  this  information  to  an  interior 
faculty  independent  of  vision.  That  interior  faculty 
grasps  the  idea  in  its  essence,  which  we  have  offered, 
and  then  grasps  the  object  in  its  wide-reaching  con- 
sciousness. Whether  it  be  a  city  in  China  or  Africa, 
a  saint  or  leader  whose  name  has  almost  disappeared 
in  the  twilight  of  history,  a  pre-historic  race  on  earth, 
or  a  body  in  our  planetary  system,  it  is  conceived, 
understood  and  reported.  The  divine  realm  of  uni- 
versal consciousness  or  intellectual  omniscience  seems 
to  become  occupied  by  man  and  either  he  comes  into 
rapport  with  that  limitless  sphere  of  intelligence,  or 
that  intelligence  is  dormant  within  himself,  and  is 
roused  by  an  effort  to  assert  its  powers. 

If  that  be  the  case  then  the  exercise  of  Psychometry 
is  nothing  less  than  a  display  of  INTUITION  —  the 
manifestation  of  an  interior  power  wrhich  is  master  of 
all  truth. 

This  power  is  the  divine  element  in  man. 
Unlimited  knowledge  not  dependent  upon  any 


160  Later  Developments, 

effort  for  its  acquisition  is  our  conception  of  a 
divine  attribute,  and  man  enjoys  this  divine  intel- 
ligence just  in  proportion  as  he  is  capable  of 
manifesting  this  familiarity  with  all  truth,  as  clear 
and  bright  in  those  things  which  are  beyond  sense, 
memory  and  education,  as  in  those  few  things 
which  he  has  learned. 

How  ennobling,  how  God -like  a  conception  of 
humanity  this  gives  —  how  grand  the  prospect  of 
future  enlightenment,  and  how  remarkable,  how  sad 
indeed  to  think  that  for  so  many  centuries  this 
faculty  has  lain  almost  dormant  and  unutilized, 
nay,  even  scorned  and  trampled  on,  while  it  was 
in  reality  the  latent  basis  of  all  human  intelligence, 
which  converts  impressions  on  the  senses  into  dis- 
tinct knowledge  of  objects  and  events.  It  is  the 
latent  basis  of  all  human  knowledge  as  latent 
caloric  and  electricity  are  at  the  bases  of  all 
material  forms.  Like  the  sun  behind  the  clouds 
it  is  the  source  of  all  light,  though  itself  unseen. 

It  informs  us  of  reality  of  truth.  It  leads  us  up 
to  the  highest,  grandest  realms  of  truth,  though 
ever  resisted  by  the  stupid  animality  and  skepticism, 
which  would  hold  us  within  the  limits  of  sensation, 
and  in  their  most  perfect  embodiment  in  skeptical 
metaphysics  would  make  us  unconscious  of  all 
reality,  denying  causation,  and  denying  all  things 
as  having  an  reality  beyond  our  own  thought.  Of 
all  forms  of  human  opinion,  transcendental  meta- 
physics or  universal  nescience  is  the  minimum  and 
•pcssimum;  and  the  modern  materalistic  doctrines 
are  a  positive  decadence  of  philosophy  from  the 


Later  Developments*  161 

time  when  it  recognized  the  higher  powers  of  the 
soul.  These  two  forms  of  error  are  congenial 
enough  to  run  together. 

Material  science,  however,  is  laying  a  very  broad 
and  solid  basis  of  physical  knowledge  for  the  Temple 
of  Philosophy  which  Psychometry  is  to  build.  When 
its  world-grasping  power  shall  reveal  all  there  is  in 
man,  all  in  the  strata  and  on  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
all  in  paleontology  and  geology,  all  in  astronomy 
that  the  telescope  fails  to  give,  and  all  that  we  can 
grasp  of  the  limitless  world  of  psychic  life  —  then, 
indeed,  shall  we  have  philosophy. 

It  may  not  be  by  a  sudden  flat  or  a  sudden  illumi- 
nation, following  the  command  :  "  Let  there  be  light : " 
but  the  time  really  necessary  to  illuminate  the  most 
enlightened  and  progressive  minds  of  modern  society 
is  so  brief  in  comparison  with  historical  epochs  that 
it  may  well  be  compared  to  the  illumination  of  dawn 
and  sunrise. 

The  world's  progress  from  the  dull  externality  of 
the  senses;  which  relate  to  sunlight,  to  sound  and  to 
physical  force,  into  the  realm  of  intuition  and  divine 
wisdom  depends  upon  the  cultivation  of  the  divine 
faculties  in  man,  which  bring  him  into  connection 
with  supernal  wisdom  and  realize  in  this  life  the 
wisdom  of  the  angels. 

o 

Wisdom  in  thought  and  nobility  in  conduct  are  not 
compatible  with  the  vulgar  mood  of  mind  which  gen- 
erally prevails  in  the  marts  of  commerce,  in  the 
scenes  of  political  strife,  in  the  drudgery  of  labor  or  in 
the  rla^es  of  amusement.  We  must  withdraw  from 
such  influences  to  something  holier  and  purer  that  can 


1 60  L  alcr  Dcveloptu  en ts . 

effort  for  its  acquisition  is  our  conception  of  a 
divine  attribute,  and  man  enjoys  this  divine  intel- 
ligence just  in  proportion  as  he  is  capable  of 
manifesting  this  familiarity  with  all  truth,  as  clear 
and  bright  in  those  things  which  are  beyond  sense, 
memory  and  education,  as  in  those  few  things 
which  he  has  learned. 

How  ennobling,  how  God -like  a  conception  of 
humanity  this  gives  —  how  grand  the  prospect  of 
future  enlightenment,  and  how  remarkable,  how  sad 
indeed  to  think  that  for  so  many  centuries  this 
faculty  has  lain  almost  dormant  and  unutilized, 
nay,  even  scorned  and  trampled  on,  while  it  was 
in  reality  the  latent  basis  of  all  human  intelligence, 
which  converts  impressions  on  the  senses  into  dis- 
tinct knowledge  of  objects  and  events.  It  is  the 
latent  basis  of  all  human  knowledge  as  latent 
caloric  and  electricity  are  at  the  bases  of  all 
material  forms.  Like  the  sun  behind  the  clouds 
it  is  the  source  of  all  light,  though  itself  unseen. 

It  informs  us  of  reality  of  truth.  It  leads  us  up 
to  the  highest,  grandest  realms  of  truth,  though 
ever  resisted  by  the  stupid  animality  and  skepticism, 
which  would  hold  us  within  the  limits  of  sensation, 
and  in  their  most  perfect  embodiment  in  skeptical 
metaphysics  would  make  us  unconscious  of  all 
reality,  denying  causation,  and  denying  all  things 
as  having  an  reality  beyond  our  own  thought.  Of 
all  forms  of  human  opinion,  transcendental  meta- 
physics or  universal  nescience  is  the  minimum  and 
•pcssimum;  and  the  modern  materalistic  doctrines 
are  a  positive'  decadence  of  philosophy  from  the 


Later   Developments.  161 

time  when  it  recognized  the  higher  powers  of  the 
soul.  These  two  forms  of  error  are  congenial 
enough  to  run  together. 

Material  science,  however,  is  laying  a  very  broad 
and  solid  basis  of  physical  knowledge  for  the  Temple 
of  Philosophy  which  Psychometry  is  to  build.  When 
its  world-grasping  power  shall  reveal  all  there  is  in 
man,  all  in  the  strata  and  on  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
all  in  paleontology  and  geology,  all  in  astronomy 
that  the  telescope  fails  to  give,  and  all  that  we  can 
grasp  of  the  limitless  world  of  psychic  life  —  then, 
indeed,  shall  we  have  philosophy. 

It  may  not  be  by  a  sudden  fiat  or  a  sudden  illumi- 
nation, following  the  command  :  "  Let  there  be  light : " 
but  the  time  really  necessary  to  illuminate  the  most 
enlightened  and  progressive  minds  of  modern  society 
is  so  brief  in  comparison  with  historical  epochs  that 
it  may  well  be  compared  to  the  illumination  of  dawn 
and  sunrise. 

The  world's  progress  from  the  dull  externality  of 
the  senses ;  which  relate  to  sunlight,  to  sound  and  to 
physical  force,  into  the  realm  of  intuition  and  divine 
wisdom  depends  upon  the  cultivation  of  the  divine 
faculties  in  man,  which  bring  him  into  connection 
with  supernal  wisdom  and  realize  in  this  life  the 
wisdom  of  the  angels. 

o 

Wisdom  in  thought  and  nobility  in  conduct  are  not 
compatible  with  the  vulgar  mood  of  mind  which  gen- 
erally prevails  in  the  marts  of  commerce,  in  the 
scenes  of  political  strife,  in  the  drudgery  of  labor  or  in 
the  rlajes  of  amusement.  We  must  withdraw  from 
such  influences  to  something  holier  and  purer  that  can 


1 62  Later  Developments. 

give  the  soul  development.  If  our  religion  be  sincere 
and  fervent,  or  our  love  deep,  tender  and  refined,  the 
integrity  and  nobility  of  the  soul  can  be  maintained, 
in  which  the  vision  becomes  clear  and  the  truth  be- 
comes our  companion.  And  when  the  head  rests 
upon  the  pillow,  we  reach  the  state  described  by 
Wordsworth  : 

"  That  serene  and  blessed  state 
In  which  the  affections  gently  lead  us  on  — 
Until  the  breath  of  this  corporeal  form 
And  even  the  motion  of  our  human  blood 
Almost  suspended,  we  are  laid  asleep 
In  body  and  become  a  living  soul, 
While  with  an  eye  made  quiet  by  the  power 
Of  harmony,  and  the  deep  power  of  joy 
We  see  into  the  life  of  things" 

Why  has  there  been  so  steady  an  opposition  in 
modern  times  to  the  recognition  and  culture  of  our 
spiritual  faculties  when  they  have  been  recognized  and 
honored  in  the  past  at  the  fountain  head  of  civilzation 
in  Egypt,  India  and  Greece,  —  cherished  and  admired 
until,  within  the  last  two  centuries,  the  dawn  of  phys- 
ical science  and  the  rebellion  against  superstition  has 
carried  society  far  away  from  the  associations  in  which 
spiritual  knowledge  was  encircled.  Yet  even  a  hun- 
dred years  ago  there  was  not  such  a  hostility  as  today 
against  the  belief  in  our  psychic  powers  and  their 
occasional  manifestation  under  nervous  excitement. 
Cabanis,  notwithstanding  his  materialism,  said  in  his 
seventh  memoir  on  the  influence  of  diseases  : 


Later  Developments.  163 

"  I  think  it  here  necessary  to  refer  particularly  to 
those  singular  acute  maladies,  in  which  intellectual 
faculties  suddenly  become  developed,  that  have  not 
previously  existed.  It  is  also  observed,  that  in  some 
spasmodic  and  extatic  diseases,  the  organs  of  sense 
become  susceptible  of  receiving  impressions  which 
were  not  perceptible  in  a  normal  state,  and  which  may 
even  be  characterized  as  unnatural.  I  have  frequently 
noticed  the  most  singular  effects  arising  from  this  sus- 
ceptibility of  sensation  in  women,  who  would  doubt- 
less have  distinguished  themselves  as  excellent  Py- 
thonesses. 

"  Some  of  these  patients  see  the  most  microscopic 
objects  with  the  naked  eye,  others  see  so  clearly  in  the 
dark  as  to  move  in  perfect  security.  There  are  others 
again  who  follow  persons  by  their  scent,  like  a.  dog, 
and  can  distinguish  such  things  as  they  have  used  or 
only  touched. 

"  I  have  seen  some  whose  taste  has  acquired  a 
peculiar  delicacy,  and  who  would  demand  or  choose 
aliments,  and  even  remedies  that  would  be  really  ser- 
viceable to  them,  with  a  sagacity  ordinarily  observable 
only  in  animals.  Some  have  the  power  of  looking 
within  themselves,  during  their  paroxysms  and  an- 
nouncing the  approach  of  certain  crises,  the  occurrence 
of  which  soon  proves  the  justness  of  their  sensations  ; 
or  they  notice  other  organic  modifications  attested  by 
the  state  of  the  pulse  and  other  still  more  certain 
signs." 

As  every  physician  of  extensive  experience  (espe- 
cially those  who  practice  in  mild  or  warm  climates) 
must  have  had  the  same  experience  in  some  degree  as 


164  Later  Developments. 

Cabanis,  or  even  a  far  more-  striking  and  marvelous 
experience,  as  Dr.  Esdaile  had  in  India,  rivalling  all 
that  was  developed  by  the  followers  of  Mesmer  in 
France,  why  has  this  field  been  so  signally  neglected, 
especially  by  medical  colleges. 

Dr.  Moreau  de  la  Sarthe  reports  in  the  Encyclopedic 
Methodique  the  case  of  a  child  twelve  or  thirteen 
years  old  attended  by  himself,  tk  who  although  scarcely 
acquainted  with  the  first  rudiments  of  Latin,  was  sud- 
denly capable,  during  a  raging  fever,  of  speaking  it 
in  the  greatest  purity.  The  same  child  expressed  his 
gratitude  to  those  who  attended  him,  in  language 
superior  to  his  age  and  the  supposed  power  of  his 
intellect "  a  few  days  before  his  death. 

It  is  not  only  under  the  influence  of  fever,  but  in  the 
most  perfect  normal  condition  that  exalted  psychic 
perceptions  occur.  In  the  year  400,  St.  Ambrose  in 
the  church  at  Milan  during  mass  fell  asleep  and  dis- 
covered the  death  of  St.  Martin  at  Tours  which  had 
just  occurred.  When  he  awoke  he  said:  4k  It  has 
been  a  great  blessing  to  me  to  sleep,  since  God  has 
worked  a  great  miracle ;  know  that  my  brother,  St. 
Martin,  has  just  died."  They  noted  the  day  and  hour 
and  found  that  St.  Martin  had  really  died  at  that  time. 
St.  Gregory  of  Tours,  a  historical  writer,  states  these 
facts. 

Why  is  it  that  with  so  vast  a  magazine  of  instructive 
materials  under  their  observation,  so  little  has  been 
reported,  and  so  strenuous  an  effort  been  made  to 
maintain  ignorance  and  skepticism  in  reference  to  the 
extraordinary  powers  of  the  soul,  not  only  in  the  med- 
ical colleges  of  materialism,  but  even  in  the  literary 


Later  Developments.  165 

departments  which  have  no  sympathy  with  physical 
science.  In  these  departments  the  protestors,  with  a 
singular  and  absurd  inconsistency,  kneel  at  the  shrine 
of  Greek  philosophy,  adore  Plato  and  Aristotle  and 
vet  ignore  all  the  grand  psychic  powers  and  phenom- 
ena which  the  Greeks  recognized  and  honored  with  a 
place  in  the  temples  of  the  Gods.  Can  they  suppose 
the  old  philosophers  whom  they  honor,  incapable  of 
testifying  correctly  as  to  facts? 

With  the  same  psychic  incapacity,  the  professors 
recognize  in  a  perfunctory  manner  the  miracles  and 
prophecies  of  the  Bible  ( with  an  evident  desire 
to  set  them  aside  as  superfluous  or  unreliable)  yet 
carefully  avoid  any  study  of  their  philosophy,  and  any 
recognition  of  the  continuance  of  such  phenomena 
today  as  was  predicted  by  Jesus.  Evidently  there  is  a 
leaden  weight  of  skepticism  dragging  down  such 
minds,  paralyzing  their  power  of  reasoning  upon 
facts  which  would  reveal  the  grandeur  of  the  divine 
laws  of  the  Universe. 

What  is  the  nature  of  that  all-pervading  and  stifling 
power  which  during  the  last  two  centuries  has  been 
at  work  to  suppress  the  truth,  to  conceal  interesting 
and  wonderful  facts,  and  to  crush  the  honest  inquirers 
who  were  not  willing  to  be  enslaved  and  silenced  by 
the  multitude. 

It  is  not  sufficient  to  refer  to  the  power  of  dogmatism 
in  the  colleges  for  that  is  but  the  proximate  cause. 
Whence  came  that  dogmatism,  and  why  did  not  the 
haughty  professors  exercise  their  dogmatism  for 
rather  than  against  the  psychic  elements  of  humanity. 

The  cause  —  the  universal  and  dominating   cause 


1 66  Later  Developments . 

is  obvious.  The  psychic  elements  are  the  antagonists 
of  the  animal  nature  —  and  the  animal  nature  rules 
the  world.  Force  and  fraud,  military  autocracy, 
priestcraft,  money  power  and  sensual  selfishness, 
have  ruled  all  nations,  and,  in  various  degrees,  all 
churches  and  colleges.  These  elements  of  character 
are  antagonistic  to  the  psychic,  resist  them,  dislike 
them,  and  cannot  comprehend  them.  It  is  the  same 
antagonism  which  existed  between  Jesus  and  the  mob 
of  Jerusalem  —  the  antagonism  between  that  which 
leads  to  heaven  and  that  which  leads  to  the  purgatory 
of  a  selfish  existence.  The  one  is  cultivated  in  the 
noise,  the  whirl  and  the  selfish  struggles  of  competi- 
tive life,  the  other  in  the  solemnities  of  religion,  in 
the  inspiration  of  song,  in  the  soul  growth  of  domes- 
tic love,  in  meditation  with  the  head  on  the  pillow,  in 
the  deep  thought  of  the  student,  in  the  admiration 
of  nature,  and  in  the  sacred  meditations  of  solitude. 

"  Thus  deeply  drinking  in  the  soul  of  things." 

The  culture  of  Psychometry  may,  therefore,  be 
regarded  as  the  intellectual  precursor  of  a  higher 
social  condition,  and  the  reception  of  Psychometry 
will  be  a  test  of  the  ethical  elevation  of  society. 

But  why  should  this  science  which  opens  our  eyes 
to  the  grandeur  of  the  universe  and  gi\  es  us  the  KEY 

TO    UNIVERSAL    KNOWLEDGE    AND    WISDOM   be    for  the 

first  time  presented  by  myself  before  a  phalanx  of 
universal  opposition.  Is  it  a  reversal  of  any  supposed 
law  of  nature  ?  Is  it  a  revelation  of  something  totally 
unknown  to  all  nations? 

On  the  contrary  it  is  the    scientific  development, 


Later  Developments.  167 

> 
demonstration    and    illustration    of    that    which     has 

always  been  in  the  world,  and  in  some  of  its  aspects 
has  always  been  known  and  in  its  warning  voice  often 
been  heard,  heeded  and  honored ;  while  in  its 
ethical  dignity  it  has  been  the  monitor  of  nations 
and  the  prompter  of  religious  movements  which 
have  changed  the  destiny  of  races  and  the  face  of 
the  globe.  It  was  the  intuitional  power  which  heard 
the  whisperings  from  a  higher  world  but  did  not 
always  understand  them,  and  which  led  nations  to 
bow  to  unknown  and  invisible  powers  called  divine, 
as  the  animal  kingdom  turns  to  the  Eastern  sky 
where  the  light  of  an  unrisen  sun  is  dispelling  the 
darkness. 

Considering  the  vast  numbers  of  those  who  in 
every  age  have  enjoyed  and  exercised  the  intuitional 
faculties  —  why  has  no  one  endeavored  to  ascertain 
their  nature,  seat  and  laws,  their  range  of  power, 
their  relation  to  philosophy  and  religion  and  their 
importance  to  mankind?  The  Jews,  the  Egyptians, 
and  the  Greeks  largely  exercised  and  recognized 
these  faculties,  but  had  not  the  docile  modesty  and 
the  inductive  scientific  spirit  which  make  systematic 
investigation ;  and  the  moderns  who  have  made 
immense  progress  by  inductive  science  have  lost 
the  spirituality  and  elevation  of  sentiment  which 
belonged  to  the  ancients  and  thus  lost  the  taste  for 
really  philosophic  studies  above  the  realm  of  matter 
without  losing  any  of  the  ancient  egotism  which 
deems  itself  a  master  of  truth  without  investigation. 

o 

That  the  very  same  intuitional  powers  which  are 
illustrated  in-  -this  volume,  have  always  existed  and 


Later  Developments. 

been  in  operation,  may  be  illustrated  sufficiently  by 
referring  to  a  single  example  —  the  psychometric 
genius  of  Zchokke,  the  famous  author,  as  stated  by 
himself,  who,  although  he  enjoyed  so  marvelous  a 
power,  never  realized  its  importance.  Zchokke  says 
in  his  autobiography  : 

"It  is  well  known  that  the  judgment  we  not  sel- 
dom form,  at  the  first  glance,  of  persons  hitherto 
unknown,  is  more  correct  than  that  which  is  the 
result  of  longer  acquaintance.  The  first  impression, 
that  through  some  instinct  of  the  soul  attracts  or 
repels  us  with  strangers,  is  afterwards  weakened  or 
destroyed  by  custom,  or  by  different  appearances. 
We  speak  in  such  cases  of  sympathy  or  antipathy, 
and  perceive  these  effects  frequently  amongst  chil- 
dren, to  whom  experience  in  human  character  is 
wholly  wanting.  But  now  to. my  case. 

"  It  has  happened  to  me  sometimes,  on  my  first 
meeting  with  strangers,  as  I  listened  silently  to  their 
discourse,  that  their  former  life,  with  many  trifling 
circumstances  therewith  connected,  or  frequently 
some  particular  scene  in  that  life,  has  passed  quite 
involuntarily,  and,  as  it  were,  dream-like,  yet  per- 
fectly distinct  before  me.  During  this  time  I  usually 
feel  so  entirely '  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of 
the  stranger's  life,  that  at  last  I  no  longer  see  clearly 
the  face  of  the  unknown  wherein  I  undesignedly 
look,  nor  distinctly  hear  the  voices  of  the  speakers, 
which  before  served  in  some  measure  as  a  com- 
mentary to  the  text  of  their  features.  For  a  long 
time  I  held  such  visions  as  delusions  of  the  fancy, 
and  the  more  so  as  they  showed  me  even  the  dresj 


Later  Developments.  169 

and  motions  of  the  actors,  rooms,  furniture  and 
other  accessaries.  By  way  of  test,  I  once  in  a 
familiar  family  circle  at  Kirchberg,  related  the 
secret  history  of  a  seamstress  who  had  just  left 
the  room  and  the  house.  I  had  never  seen  her 
before  in  my  life.  People  were  astonished,  and 
laughed,  but  were  not  to  be  persuaded  that  I  did 
not  previously  know  the  relations  of  which  I  spoke, 
for  what  I  had  uttered  was  the  literal  truth.  On 
my  part,  I  was  no  less  astonished  that  my  dream- 
pictures  were  confirmed  by  the  reality.  I  became 
more  attentive  to  the  subject,  and  when  propriety 
admitted  it,  I  would  relate  to  those  whose  life  thus 
passed  before  me  the  subject  of  my  vision,  that  I 
might  thereby  obtain  confirmation  or  refutation  of  it. 
It  was  invariably  ratified,  not  without  consternation 
on  their  part.  *  What  demon  inspires  you?  Must 
I  again  believe  in  possession  ?  '  exclaimed  the  spiri- 
tual Johann  von  Riga,  when  in  the  first  hour  of  our 
acquaintance  I  related  his  past  life  to  him.  We 
speculated  long  on  the  enigma,  but  even  his  pene- 
tration could  not  solve  it. 

"  I  myself  had  less  confidence  than  any  one  in 
this  mental  jugglery.  As  often  as  I  revealed  my 
visionary  gifts  to  any  new  person,  I  regularly 
expected  to  hear  the  answer  —  *  It  was  not  so.'  I 
felt  a  secret  shudder  when  my  auditors  replied  that 
it  was  true,  or  when  their  astonishment  betrayed  my 
accuracy  before  I  spoke.  Instead  of  many,  I  will 
mention  one  example,  which  pre-eminently  astounded 
me.  One  fair  day,  in  the  city  of  Waldshut,  1 
entered  the  Vine  Inn  in  company  with  two  voung 


170  Later  Developments. 

.student  foresters.  We  were  tired  with  rambling 
through  the  woods.  We  supped  with  a  numerous 
company  at  the  '  table  cF  hotej  where  the  guests 
were  making  very  merry  with  the  peculiarities  and 
eccentricities  of  the  Swiss,  with  Mesmer's  magne- 
tism, Lavater's  physiognomy,  etc.  One  of  my 
companions,  whose  national  pride  was  wounded 
by  their  mockery,  begged  me  to  make  some  reply, 
particularly  to  a  handsome  young  man  who  sate 
opposite  to  me,  and  who  allowed  himself  extraordi- 
nary licence.  This  man's  former  life  was  at  that 
moment  presented  to  my  mind.  I  turned  to  him  and 
asked  whether  he  would  answer  me  candidly,  if  I 
related  to  him  some  of  the  most  secret  passages  of 
his  life,  I  knowing  as  little  of  him  personally  as  he 
did  of  me.  That  would  be  going  a  little  further,  I 
thought,  than  Lavater  did  with  his  physiognomy. 
He  promised,  if  I  were  correct  in  my  information,  to 
admit  it  frankly.  I  then  related  what  my  vision  had 
shown  me,  and  the  whole  company  were  made 
acquainted  with  the  private  history  of  the  young 
merchant  —  his  school-years,  his  youthful  errors, 
and  lastly,  with  a  fault  committed  in  reference  to  the 
strong-box  of  his  principal.  I  described  to  him  the 
uninhabited  room,  with  whitened  walls,  where,  to 
the  right  of  the  brown  door,  on  a  table,  stood  a  black 
money-box,  etc.  A  dead  silence  prevailed  during 
the  whole  narrative,  which  I  alone  occasionally  inter- 
rupted by  inquiring  whether  I  spoke  the  truth  ?  The 
startled  young  man  confirmed  every  particular,  and 
even  what  I  had  scarcely  expected,  the  last  men- 
tioned. Touched  by  his  candor,  I  shook  hands  with 


Later  Developments.  171 

him  over  the  table,  and  said  no  more.  He  asked  me 
my  name,  which  I  gave  him,  and  we  remained 
together  talking  till  past  midnight.  He  is  probably 
still  living  !  " 

Thousands  have  had  experience  like  Zchokke's,  and 
even  more  marvelous.  In  the  coming  civilization 
men  will  marvel  that  such  things  could  ever  have  been 
forgotten,  ignored  or  denied.  The  last  three  centur- 
ies will  seem  a  very  dark  age,  noth withstanding  all 
their  vast  but  grovelling  knowledge  confined  to  the 
earth  and  "  earthy."  The  pall  of  materalism  has  cov- 
ered these  recent  centuries  so  darkly  as  to  shut  out 
the  dawning  light  that  once  shone  in  Judea.  Did  not 
Jesus  look  into  men's  souls  and  tell  them  of  their 
coming  deeds,  did  he  not  tell  the  woman  of  Samaria 
of  her  five  husbands?  Did  she  not  say  :  "  Come  and 
see  a  man  who  told  me  all  things  that  ever  I  did"  — 
and  did  not  Jesus  promise  that  these  very  things  and 
greater  things,  too,  should  be  done  by  his  successors, 
and  wrere  they  not  done  by  Zchokke  and  Cazotte  as 
an  exercise  of  their  familiar  faculties  —  and  by  Joan 
of  Arc  and  George  Fox  and  Swenbenborg,  under  the 
inspiration  which  accompanies  the  true  followers  of 
Jesus. 

If  I  had  time  to  ransack  history  and  biography, 
abundant  illustrations  might  be  found  of  the  existence 
and  exercise  of  the  powers  which  were  exercised  by 
Zchokke  and  by  Cazotte. 

Even  now  while  I  have  been  writing,  a  capital  illus- 
tration comes  from  the  antipodes,  in  the  experience  of 
a  gifted  gentleman  whose  fine  intuition  has  led  him  to 
express  the  very  views  which  are  inculcated  in  this 
volume. 


172  Later  Developments. 

Placing  his  name  unseen  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  B. 
for  psychometric  description,  she  revealed  his  capaci- 
ties as  follows : 

"This  is  altogether  a  new  character  to  me.  He  is 
living,  too.  He  is  powerful  in  mentality —  and  edu- 
cation. It  takes  me  into  a  grand  intellectual  atmos- 
phere. He  is  humanitarian  —  his  work  is  mainly  in 
that  direction  —  like  one  who  has  founded  some 
benevolent  enterprise. 

"  He  has  an  extraordinarily  clear. mind,  thoroughly 
original  and  independent.  He  has  clairvoyant  power 
to  a  remarkable  extent,  and  exercises  it,  too.  He  is 
practical  and  brings  what  he  knows  into  a  practical 
shape.  His  powers  are  so  far  reaching  as  almost  to 
annihilate  space.  He  has  an  illuminated  mind  —  this 
is  the  most  active  power  in  his  brain. 

(Where  is  he?)  "Not  in  this  country — it  takes 
me  off  to  a  very  distant  land  —  a  southern  direction. 
He  is  bold.  ,  He  seems  advanced  in  life.  (Does  he 
understand  public  affairs?)  Yes,  he  can  sit  in  his 
home  aud  compass  almost  the  entire  world.  There 
seems  no  limit  to  his  soul  power  in  that  way.  He  is 
not  in  a  war-like  spirit. 

(What  is  his  profession?)  "He  may  be- a  physi- 
cian. I  think  he  is.  He  would  not  be  a  lawver." 

The  gentleman  thus  described  is  C.  W.  Rohner,  M. 
D.,  of  Tungamah,  Australia,  who  presented  in  an 
essay,  dated  February  12,  1885,  published  at  Mel- 
bourne, the  following  admirable  suggestions  and 
statements  : 

"  In  defiance  of  all  the  high-wrought  and  elaborate 
definitions  of  old-time  Psychology,  I  venture  to  ck'lino 


Later  Developments. 

intuition  simply  as  direct  spiritual  insight,  immediate 
perception  of  both  facts  and  truths  without  any  prelim- 
inary instruction  or  preparation  for  the  reception  of 
the  new  truths  and  the  new  facts.  Intuition,  in  my 
opinion,  is  one  of  the  grandest  faculties  of  the  human 
mind,  and  although  not  so  positive  in  its  .data  as  clair- 
voyance, to  which  it  is  certainly  and  closely  allied, 
intuition  is  in  many  respects  far  more  valuable  than 
clairvoyance,  because  it  is  more  comprehensive  in  its 
scope,  and  more  profound  in  the  results  of  its  opera- 
tion. 

' '  Without  the  natural  gift  of  intuition  a  man  cannot 
rise  to  any  high  altitude  of  mentality  in  this  world,  for 
intuition  is  one  of  the  most  constant  and  reliable 
teachers  and  tutors  —  a  true  mentor  —  of  mankind. 
He  who  is  gifted  with  this  rare  faculty  has  the  key  of 
all  knowledge  in  his  possession. 

"Without  a  certain  amount  of  intuition  I  hold  it 
absolutely  impossible  to  become  a  Spiritualist,  for  in- 
tuition is  the  first  and  handiest  instrument  to  bring 
man  in  contact  with  things  invisible  from  a  physical 
point  of  view.  Hence  it  is  that  men  of  magnificent 
intellects  and  grand  attainments  —  leading  men  of 
science,  leading  theologians,  leading  politicians,  etc., 
—  are  utterly  unable  to  attain  to  spiritual  sight,  or  to 
the  understanding  of  things  truly  spiritual.  They 
really  have  eyes  and  see  not,  as  a  grandly  intuitive 
man  said  over  1800  years  ago. 

"  Somehow  or  other  some  people,  and  they  are  not 
so  inconsiderable  in  number,  cannot  understand  any- 
thing that  is  new  ;  their  minds  run  in  such  rigidly 
conservative  grooves  that  they  cannot  deviate  from  a 


174  Later  Developments. 

certain  path ;  and  such  men  it  would  take  perhaps 
half  a  life-time  to  realize  so  stupendous  a  fact  as  the 
discovery  of  another  hemisphere. 

"  Intuition  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  gifts  that 
can  be  bestowed  upon  mortal,  for  by  the  aid  of  intuition 
man  may  become  master,  not  only  of  all  knowledge, 
but  even  of  all  secrets,  down  to  the  best  kept  State 
secrets  of  the  craftiest  statesman  —  of  a  very  Bis- 
marck. To  illustrate  this  fact,  I  have  only  to  allude  to 
my  own  intuitional  experience.  Some  ten  months  ago 
—  when  nobody  in  Australia  knew  anything  of  the  de- 
signs of  Bismarck  on  Newr  Guinea,  and  moreover,  of 
his  secret  designs  against  England  generally  *  *  *  * 
I  wrote  several  plain  leading  articles  on  the  subject, 
asserting  in  unmistakable  terms  that  Bismarck  would 
have  New  Guinea,  and  that  the  French  would  have 
their  New  Hebrides.  I  was  laughed  at  for  my  trouble 
by  almost  everybody  who  knew  my  views.  How 
could  that  be?  some  asked.  I  could  not  tell  them  ;  I 
only  knew  that  things  had  this  tendency  ;  and  often  in 
the  morning  I  would  awake  as  if  I  had  come  from  the 
secret  council-chambers  of  European  diplomatists, 
where  I  had  heard  their  plans  discussed  in  order  to 
enable  me  to  warn  those  against  whom  these  designs 
wrere  forming. 

"  Now  all  these  things  have  come  to  pass,  people 
cannot  help  believing  them,  however  unable  they  may 
still  be  to  realize  them.  I  could  tell  hosts  of  similar 
and  still  more  important  State  secrets  which  are  going 
to  be  carried  out  shortly,  also  against  England ;  but 
my  past  experience  is  not  encouraging  for  me  to  do  so 
at  present.  If  this  article  had  not  already  spread  itself 


Later  Developments.  175 

out  to  an  undue  length,  I  could  have  furnished  further 
proofs  of  this  my  peculiar  intuitional  gift  in  connec- 
tion with  the  perpetration  of  what  was  years  ago 
styled  the  "  Bulgarian  atrocities,"  which  I  saw  per- 
formed on  victims'  as  if  I  were  standing  alongside  the 
shambles  on  which  they  were  cut  up  like  so  much 
butcher's  meat.  These  scenes  I  saw  enacted  regularly 
two  or  three  days  before  an  account  of  them  would 
appear  in  the  daily  papers,  and  I  was  myself  so  as- 
tonished at  the  coincidence  of  what  I  saw  intuitively 
(perhaps  also  clairvoyantly),  that  I  took  regular  notes 
of  the  proceedings  as  they  happened." 


i  . 


CHAPTEE  IV. 

THE   PSYCHIC   FACULTIES  —  THEIR   LOCATION   AND   ACCI 
DENTAL    MANIFESTATION. 

Nature  and  location  of  the  psychometric  faculty  of  intuition  —  Its  associa- 
tion with  sensibility  —  The  recognition  of  this  by  writers  on  animal 
magnetism—  Necessary  precaution  in  psychometric  investigations  — 
The  superior  intellectual  or  spiritual  method  —  Its  connection  with 
feeling-  — Magnetic  experience  of  Hufeland,  Gmelin  and  others  —  The 
loss  of  consciousness  as  to  the  body  —  Connection  of  the  phenomena 
with  broad  foreheads  —  Evils  from  sensitiveness  —  How  avoided  by 
health  and  by  pure  psychic  action  —  Somnambulism  and  trance  con- 
nected with  the  temples  —  Loss  of  bodily  consciousness  —  Mediumship 
—  Manipulation  to  develope  trance  and  Psychometry —  Neglect  of 
physicians  —  Effect  of  the  local  excitement  and  heat  in  the  temples  — 
Its  illustration  in  Jane  Rider  —  Perfect  vision  and  remarkable  intelli- 
gence and  energy  with  the  eyes  closed  and  bandaged  —  Pain  in  the 
temples  —  Hints  to  physicians  -  -  Blindfold  experiments  —  Wonderful 
developments  of  clairvoyant  intelligence  —  Their  neglect  by  colleges  — 
The  physical  leads  into  darkness  the  spiritual  into  light  —  Spirituality 
of  the  dying  and  of  somnambulists  —  views  of  Andral  and  Virgil  — 
Vulgar  errors,  comparing  Psychometry  with  mesmerism,  diabolism, 
spiritualism  and  thought  reading  —  Explanation  of  Psychometry,  an 
independent  mastery  of  knowledge  —  Corporeal  location  of  the  psychic 
powers  —  The  soul  residing  in  the  brain  as  its  home  —  The  body  as  the 
garden  of  the  mansion  —  Relation  explained  by  the  sensitive  nerves  — 
Epigastric  locality  corresponding  to  the  temples  —  Transference  of 
psychic  action  in  sleep  and  dreams  —  Superabundant  illustration  in 
natural  somnambulism  —  Reports  of  Colquhoun  —  Explanation  by 
Anthropology  —  Why  the  phenomena  are  forgotten  — Phenomena  of 
artificial  somnambulism  well  and  widely  known  but  ignored  by  col- 
leges—  Exaltation  of  the  faculties  in  natural  somnambulism —  Vision 
of  the  French  ecclesiastic  through  paper  —  Perfect  vision  with  closed 
eyes  —  Reading  with  closed  eyes  and  seeing  through  a  plank  reported 
to  a  philosophical  society  —  Suspension  of  sensation  —  Case  reported 
to  medical  society  of  Breshui  —  Somnambulism  in  a  young  rope-maker 
-  Perfect  vision  with  closed  eyes,  and  complete  bodily  insensibility  — 
Perfect  vision  in  a  girl  of  thirteen  with  bandaged  eyes — Similar  case 
in  Edinburgh  Philosophical  Tiansactioiis  --  Utilixution  of  the  psychic 
176 


Psychic  Faculties  i 


powers  in  Psychometry,  which  have  been  neglected  by  an  intellectual 
barbarism  —  Marvelous  case  related  by  Dr.  Abercrombie  —  Wonderful 
imitation  and  intelligence  in  a  girl  of  feeble  mind  —  The  true  nature  of 
the  psychic  faculties  and  their  relation  to  the  spirit  world  —  Their 
liability  to  delusrion  —  Confusion  of  objective  and  subjective  —  Their 
future  emancipation  of  the  world  from  superstition  —  Grandeur  of 
the  twentieth  century  —  The  intuitional  faculty  associated  with  uncon- 
sciousness and  sleep  —  Sir  Thomas  Browne  —  Skill  of  somnambulists 
—  Danger  of  sudden  awakening  —  Identity  of  the  somnolent  faculties 
and  our  daily  intuitions  which  bring  success  in  life  —  development  of 
intuition  thoroughout  all  ages  and  at  present  —  Inspiration  of  Shakes- 
peare and  George  Elliot. 

The  cavern's  streams  from  darkness  come  —  to  darkness  go 

Their  source  unknown. 
Wild  storms  come  from  transparent  depths  of  upper  air, 

We  know  not  why. 
Comets  from  stellar  depths,  unknown,  rush  by, 

A  dazzling  mystery. 
Yet  science  shall  reveal  the  whole,  and  trace  the  paths 

By  which  they  come. 
Then  shall  its  starry  eye  pierce  farther,  dimmer  depths 

Of  human  mystery  — 
The  magic  of  the  ancient  sage  —  the  Prophet's  ken, 

The  priestly  power 
That  awed  the  savage  tribes  and  built  the  temples  grand; 

The  wondrous  tales 
Of  Angels  dimly  seen,  and  of  Demoniac  power; 

The  wild  insanities 
That  come  like  storms  to  multitudes,  and  deeper  mysteries 

Of  mad-house  life  ; 
Extatics,  dreamers,  floating  forms,  astounding  miracles 

At  saintly  tombs, 
And  the  unconscious  utterance  of  a  wisdom  rare 

From  feeble  lips  ; 
These  shall  be  traced  along  the  mystic  lines  of  power 

That  reach  afar 
Toward  that  unseen  and  awful  power  that  holds 

The  farthest  stars, 
And  yet  with  sweet  benevolence  lifts  up 

Poor,  erring  man, 
When  he  aspires,  into  the  realm  of  Heavenly  lore. 

What  is  the  essential  nature  of  the   psychometric 
faculty?     In    the    ultimate    analysis  I  have  called    it 


Psychic  Faculties. 

INTUITION.  But  the  intuitional  faculty  is  connected 
with  the  interior  portion  of  the  front  lobe  and  that 
portion  is  connected  by  the  law  of  coincidence  or 
parallelism  with  the  lateral  portion  of  the  front  lobe, 
which  is  %ehind  the  eyebrow,  and  runs  into  connex- 
ion with  the  interior  part  of  the  middle  lobe,  in 
which  is  located  the  organ  of  feeling  or  sensibility  - 
the  aggregate  of  the  sensitive  faculties.  Hence  it  is 
that  the  somnambulic  and  psychometric  conditions 
may  be  brought  on  by  gentle  impressions  on  the 
sense  of  feeling,  especially  by  such  impressions  as 
are  made  by  the  nervaura. 

The  acute  perceptions  of  the  region  of  intuition 
and  its  coincident  in  somnolence,  are  thus  associated 
closely  by  the  proximity  of  the  organs  with  the 
highest  sensibilities  that  we  possess  and  the  exercise 
of  the  intuitional  faculty  is  accompanied  by  the 
highest  degree  of  sensibility,  which  needs  to  be 
protected  from  all  harsh  influences  and  even  from 
ordinary  light.  Hence  in  clairvoyant  experiments 
it  is  necessary  to  extinguish  or  lower  the  light  or  to 
protect  the  eyes.  The  bandage  placed  over  the  eyes 
is  a  real  advantage  to  the  clairvoyant. 

It  follows  then  from  the  construction  of  the  brain 
that  in  all  intuitional  phenomena  there  will  be  great 
exaltation  and  delicacy  of  the  senses  manifested 
—  that  feeling,  hearing,  seeing  and  sympathetic  im- 
pression will  act  in  unison  to  give  the  delicate  and 
profound  knowledge  which  belongs  to  the  intuitional 
region. 

In  the  language  of  Psychometry  we  find  this  blend- 
ing. The  psychometer  recognizes  all  cognizable 


Psychic  Faculties.  179 

properties,  conditions  and  phenomena  in  the  object  of 
his  examination.  The  odors  in  the  air,  the  tempera- 
ture of  the-  climate,  its  healthy  or  unhealthy  influ- 
ences, the  qualities  of  food  and  medicine,  the  sensations 
of  the  sick,  the  forms  and  colors  of  landscapes,  flow- 
ers, paintings,  persons  and  imagery,  the  spirituar 
character  of  society  and  the  purposes  that  pervade 
the  people  —  in  short,  all  that  can  be  comprehended 
by  human  intelligence  is  recognized,  as  if  all  senses 
and  sympathies  were  in  the  highest  activity. 

This  combination  of  the  faculties  has  long  been 
recognized.  "  In  the  state  of  clairvoyance  (says 
Colquhoun)  the  magnetic  patients  may  be  said  to  feel 
rather  than  to  sec.  Fisher's  somnambulist  assured 
him  that  he  saw  his  internal  parts,  but  not  as  with  the 
eyes ;  he  could  not  describe  the  manner  in  which  he 
perceived  them.  Frederic  Hufeland's  patient  said, 
only  in  the  highest  degree  of  lucidity,  "I  sec;"  at 
other  times  she  generally  used  the  expression,  "  I 
feel  "  this  or  that  part,  this  or  that  change,  etc. 
Gmelin's  patient,  too,  said  she  did  not  see  but  feel, 
and  with  great  delicacy,  both  internally  and  extern- 
ally ;  and  Scherb's  patient  declared,  that  in  the  mag- 
netic sleep,  the  sensations  were  rather  those  of  feeling 
than  of  sight,  and  that  the  feeling  during  that  state 
was  much  more  acute  and  delicate  than  when  awake. 
A  corroboration  of  these  views  may  also  be  derived 
from  the  following  curious  declaration  of  Dr.  Des- 
pine's  cataleptic  patient.  "You  think,"  said  she  to 
those  who  had  placed  themselves  en  rapport  with  her  : 
"that  I  don't  .know  what  passes  around  me  every 
evening  ;  but  you  are  mistaken.  I  see  nothing,  but 


1 8  2  Piy  ch  ic  Fa  en  Itics . 

development  of  psychic  powers  was  brought  on  by 
an  attack  with  a  flushed  face,  pain  in  the  left  side  of 
the  head  which  was  hot,  and  an  excited  pulse.  She 
was  relieved  by  the  physician  and  next  morning  re- 
called nothing  of  the  attack.  Another  attack  came 
on  in  about  a  month  and  produced  a  fine  specimen  of 
somnambulism.  She  rose  and  dressed  herself  with 
her  eyes  closed,  and  went  through  the  whole  bnsiness 
of  preparing  the  table  for  breakfast,  but  next  morning 
thought  it  had  been  done  by  some  one  else.  In  her 
numerous  subsequent  paroxysms  with  her  eyes  closed, 
she  manifested  the  most  perfect  vision,  even  in  rooms 
entirely  dark,  sewing  and  performing  household  duties 
with  entire  ease  and  correctness  and  sometimes  refused 
to  allow  a  lamp  to  be  burned  because  she  thought  it 
was  daylight.  These  attacks  were  generally  if  not 
always  accompanied  by  pain  in  the  temple  on  the 
left  side  of  the  head,  which  produced  severe  suffering 
and  led  her  to  say  repeatedly,  pointing  to  that  spot, 
"  it  ought  to  be  cut  open  —  it  ought  to  be  cut  open." 
If  the  treatment  had  been  directed  to  this  spot  as  her 
intuition  dictated  her  attacks  might  have  been  con- 
trolled and  perhaps  her  high  endowments  perserved 
in  her  normal  condition. 

In  these  attacks,  her  mental  exaltation  was  often 
shown  by  the  impetuous  rapidity  of  her  action. 
**  She  moved  with  astonishing  rapidity,  and  accom- 
plished whatever  she  attempted  with  a  celerity  of 
which  she  was  utterly  incapable  in  her  natural  state." 

Sometimes  she  had  her  paroxysm  in  bed,  "  where 
she  sung,  talked  and  repeated  passages  of  poetry. 
Once  she  imagined  herself  at  Brattleborough,  spoke 


Psychic  Facilities.  183 

of  scenes  and  persons  with  which  she  was  acquainted 
there,  and  described  the  characters  of  certain  indi- 
viduals with  great  accuracy  and  shrewdness,  and 
imitated  their  actions  so  exactly  as  to  produce  a  most 
comical  effect."  Although  she  sang  with  propriety 
and  correctness,  she  had  never  learned  to  sing,  nor 
been  known  to  sing,  when  awake. 

Hereafter,  liberal  physicians  enlightened  by  An- 
thropology will  know  that  whenever  an  unusual 
heat  or  excitement  appears  in  the  temples  an  inch 
behind  the  brow,  the  sensibilities  are  exalted,  deli- 
cate medication  is  necessary,  infinitesimal  doses  will 
be  responded  to,  and  delicate  manipulations  will  be 
so  effective  (guided  by  Sarcognomy)  as  often  to 
make  medicine  entirely  unnecessary.  Moreover  in 
such  patients  they  will  be  prepared  to  expect  unusual 
psychic  manifestations,  and  occasionally  the  develop- 
ment of  an  intelligence  which  may  comprehend  their 
own  condition  and  make  the  most  important  sugges- 
tion for  their  treatment  (as  was  recognized  by 
Cabanis),  or  even  obtain  suggestions  from  then 
attendant  spiritual  companionship. 

In  the  case  of  Jane  Rider  the  vision  was  during 
her  paroxysms  entirely  a  spiritual  phenomenon.  It 
made  no  difference  whether  her  eyes  were  entirely 
open  or  entirely  closed  or  covered  with  bandages. 

"  On  the  twentieth  of  November,  the  reporter 
(Dr.  Belden)  took  a  large  black  silk  handkerchief, 
placed  between  the  folds  two  pieces  of  cotton  batting, 
and  applied  it  in  such  a  way  that  the  cotton  came 
directly  over  the  eyes,  and  completely  filled  the 
cavitv  on  each  side  of  the  nose,  the  silk  was  dis- 


184  Psychic  Faculties. 

tinctly  seen  to  be  in  close  contact  with  the  skin. 
Various  names/  were  then  written  on  cards,  both  of 
persons  with  whom  she  was  acquainted,  and  of  those 
who  were  unknown  to  her,  which  she  read  as  soon 
as  they  were  presented  to  her."  To  make  the  experi- 
ment still  more  perfect  he  "  took  two  large  wads  of 
cotton  and  placed  them  directly  on  the  closed  eye- 
lids and  then  bound  them  on  with  the  handkerchief 
before  used.  The  cotton  filled  the  cavity  under  the 
eyebrow,  came  down  to  the  middle  of  the  cheek  and 
was  in  close  contact  with  the  nose.  The  former  expe- 
riments were  then  repeated  without  any  difference  in 
the  result."  She  also  wrote  with  facility,  and  read 
with  facility,  writing  too  fine  to  be  distinguished  at 
the  usual  distance  from  the  eye. 

"  She  occasionally  exhibited  an  extraordinary 
power  of  imitation.  This  extended  not  only  to  the 
manner,  but  to  the  language  and  sentiments  of  the 
person  whom  she  personified,  and  her  performances 
in  this  way  were  so  striking,  and  her  conceptions  of 
character  so  just,  that  nothing  could  be  more  comi- 
cal. This,  like  her  other  extraordinary  powers,  was 
confined  to  her  somnambulist  state  —  at  other  times, 
she  did  not  exhibit  the  slightest  trace  of  it." 

Another  illustration  of  her  abnormal  intellectuality 
was  shown  in  learning  to  play  backgammon.  After 
receiving  two  lessons  she  beat  an  experienced  player, 
but  when  awake  she  knew  nothing  about  it. 

I  have  dwelt  upon  the  mental  exaltation  and  the 
spiritual  vision  in  the  case  of  Jane  Rider  because 
the  case  is  so  authentic  and  so  well  known,  and 
because  it  illustrates  so  clearly  the  transcendent 


Psychic  Faculties.  185 

power  of  an  interior  region  of  the  brain  even  in 
morbid  conditions,  which,  without  the  use  of  the 
internal  senses  and  external  reason,  the  sole  intel- 
lectual guides  recognized  by  the  world's  dominant 
psychology  and  even  by  the  Gallian  Phrenology 
attains  all  the  results  that  are  attained  by  the  pro- 
longed labors  of  observation  and  reasoning  —  attains 
them  without  an  effort,  leaping  at  once  into  posses- 
sion of  the  harvest  of  knowledge  and  wisdom  as.  if 
all  had  been  garnered  by  some  celestial  power  and 
poured  into  the  receptive  soul. 

The  full  extent  of  the  power  it  is  true  is  not  shown 
in  the  case  of  Jane  Rider,  but  it  is  amply  illustrated 
in  mesmeric  somnambulists,  in  religious  trances,  in 
the  eloquent  outpourings  of  entranced  speakers  in 
their  poetic  improvisations,  and  their  grand  discus- 
sions of  themes  with  which  they  have  had  no 
acquaintance  previous  to  their  inspired  utterance, 
in  none  more  remarkably  than  in  W.  J.  Colville, 
who,  when  a  half-educated  youth,  gave  learned 
disquisitions  on  philosophy.  If  there  be  such  powers 
in  humanity  —  latent  in  many  —  but  bursting  spon- 
taneously into  expression  from  thousands  without  an 
effort,  and  in  spite  of  repression,  why  is  Heaven's 
richest  intellectual  gift  to  man  ignored  and  defied  by 
colleges?  Why,  unless  that  the  colleges  are  in 
philosophy,  the  reservoir  of  accumulated  ignorance, 
and,  therefore,  the  antagonist  of  inspiration,  as  dark- 
ness is  the  antagonist  of  light,  having  followed  the 
drifting  of  the  animal  nature  into  the  lower  or 
physical  and  verbal  departments  of  knowledge,  into 
which  they  have  so  deeply  burrowed  as  to  have 


1 86  Psychic  Faculties. 

lost  sight  of  the  world  of  life  and  light,  so  far  above 
their  plane  of  thought,  and  so  grossly  miseducated 
their  pupils  that  apparently  educated  physicians  will 
deny  clairvoyance,  and  insult  or  slander  those  in 
whom  it  appears. 

The  farther  we  go  in  that  direction  the  deeper  the 
spiritual  darkness  that  enshrouds  the  world,  for  the 
spiritual  and  physical  are  our  opposite  polarities.  In 
the  former  we  find  all  light  and  freedom,  all  harmony 
and  love  —  in  the  latter,  all  darkness,  tyranny  and 
crime.  When  the  spirit  has  abandoned  the  body 
forever,  then  only  does  it  enjoy  the  perfection  of  its 
capacities  for  wisdom  and  happiness  —  capacities 
which  it  realizes  in  life  most  perfectly  when  the 
body  is  in  the  most  perfect  repose,  but  which  are 
often  lost  in  the  tumult  of  passionate  life  —  least 
realized  surely  when  we  are  dealing  with  physical 
obstacles  —  when  the  soul  energy  is  lost  in  the  body, 
as  in  excessive  toil,  and  least  realized  in  our  intel- 
lectual life  when  intelligence  is  exclusively  occupied 
with  the  physical  forms  and  forces  that  resist  our 
muscular  energy.  Humanity  is  debased  in  propor- 
tion as  education  is  limited  to  the  acquisition  of 
physical  knowledge,  and  active  life  to  the  pursuit 
of  wealth  and  power. 

How  often  does  the  soul  of  the  dying  invalid  report 
itself  refreshed  by  a  rich  experience  during  the  hours 
of  prostration  and  apparent  death,  or  during  similar 
moments  in  somnambulism. 

Prof.  Andral,  one  of  the  most  philosophic  of  his 
French  contemporaries,  refers  to  a  case  in  which  M. 
Filazzi,  an  interne  of  the  Hotel  Dieuv  totally  skepti- 


Psychic  Faculties.  187 

cal,  attempted  to  amuse  himself  by  magnetizing  a 
fellow-student.  After  twenty  minutes  he  adds  "  what 
was  my  horror  when  I  saw  his  fingers  turn  blue,  his 
head  fall  powerless  forward,  when  I  heard  his  res- 
piration rattling  like  a  dying  man's  and  felt  his  skin 
as  cold  as  death  itself.  I  cannot  find  words  to 
describe  my  sufferings.  I  knew  not  what  to  do. 
Meanwhile  all  these  horrid  phenomena  increased  in 
intensity.  I  trembled  at  the  recollection  of  what  I 
saw :  there  lay  my  friend,  my  victim,  devoid  of 
the  aspect  of  life,  in  a  state  of  complete  and  terrible 
collapse."  *  *  *  "  In  a  quarter  of  an  hour  he 
recovered,  and  exclaiming  that  in  the  extacy  he  had 
experienced  sensations  of  extreme  delight,  begged 
me  to  recommence  the  passes.  I  did  so  with  less 
apprehension,  and  again  the  somnolency  proceeded. 
The  collapse,  however,  was  less  profound  and  ter- 
rific, and  in  some  minutes  he  suddenly  awoke  with 
the  exclamation  :  "  What  happiness  is  this." 

It  is  a  very  old  and  familiar  thought,  yet  one  not 
acted  on  by  modern  colleges,  that  the  soul  has  a 
freedom  and  purity  in  itself  which  are  hindered  by 
its  residence  in  matter,  and  which  it  does  not  realize 
until  emancipated  from  its  physical  surroundings,  or 
relieved  by  an  extatic  condition  from  their  immediate 
pressure.  Plato,  and  other  spiritual  philosophers  of 
antiquity,  taught  this  distinctly,  and  Virgil  expressed 
it  in  the  sixth  book  of  the  y£neid,  in  the  following 
among  other  passages  : 

"  Nor  can  the  grovelling  mind 
In  the  dark  dungeon  of  the  limbs  confined, 
Assert  the  native  skies,  or  own  its  heavenly  kind; 
Nor  death  itself  can  wholly  wash  the  stains, 
But  long  contracted  filth  e'en  in  the  soul  remains." 


Psychic  Faculties. 

The  collegiate  policy  is  to  recognize  only  the  action 
of  the  soul  as  immersed  in  matter  it  studies  its  physi- 
cal surroundings,  while  debased  by  selfish  influences, 
and  to  ignore  as  visionary  and  delusive  all  its  trans- 
cendent powers,  and  all  who  possess  them  or  who 
believe  in  their  existence,  unless  they  wrote  tiun 
thousand  years  ago. 

The  reader  is  now  prepared  by  the  exposition  of 
psychometric  phenomena  and  their  connection  with 
the  brain  to  correct  certain  vulgar  errors  on  this  sub- 
ject among  those  who  are  unfamiliar  with  psychomet- 
ric science. 

As  a  matter  of  course  those  to  whom  new  knowl- 
edge is  presented  generally  endeavor  to  avoid  any 
change  in  their  old  ideas,  and  either  resist  its  recep- 
tion or  endeavor  to  diminish  its  novelty  and  identify  it 
with  what  they  already  know,  or  suppose  they  know. 

Thus  a  clergyman  familiar  with  certain  notions  of 
the  power  of  the  Devil  and  his  imps,  and  unfamiliar 
with  primitive  Christianity,  when  he  hears  of  strange 
mental  phenomena  of  mesmerism  and  spiritualism, 
assumes  that  they  are  but  another  form  of  the  diabol- 
ism in  which  he  believes. 

The  devotee  of  mesmerism,  when  he  hears  of  Psy- 
chometry  and  spiritualism,  assumes  that  they  are  the 
same  thing  with  which  he  is  familiar  as  mesmerism. 

The  devotee  of  spiritualism  hearing  of  Psychome- 
try  often  assumes  that  it  is  merely  an  exhibition  of 
spiritualism  or  power  of  the  spirits,  and  supposes  that 
supermundane  beings  are  its  source. 

The  amateur  in  thought-reading  also  is  very  confi- 
dent that  all  extraordinary  mental  phenomena  are  but 


Psychic  Faculties.  180 

various  forms  of  thought-reading  to  which  his  experi- 
ence is  limited. 

The  powers  displayed  in  psychometric  experiments 
are  entirely  distinct  from  the  spiritual  phenomena. 
We  are  no  more  dependent  on  spiritual  help  to  feel 
the  medical  impression  of  a  fluid  extract  in  a  vial, 
than  we  are  in  smelling  a  rose  or  tasting  a  beefsteak. 
We  are  equally  independent  in  feeling  the  impression 
of  an  autograph  and  tracing  the  character  of  the 
writer,  as  we  trace  the  character  and  tendency  of  a 
remedy,  just  as  much  as  we  should  be  in  feeling  the 
influence  of  smallpox  in  a  piece  of  infected  paper, 
and  there  by  contracting  the  disease.  While  in  the 
form,  we  have  all  the  faculties  that  we  shall  have 
when  emancipated  from  the  body ;  and  whatever 
spirits  can  do  in  the  way  of  intuitional  perception, 
we  can  do  likewise  with  a  freedom  and  success  pro- 
portional to  our  interior  development.  We  depend 
neither  on  the  living  friends  around  us  nor  on  the 
spirit  friends  who  may  be  present. 

But  in  proportion  as  our  spiritual  or  intuitional  fac- 
ulties are  developed,  they  have  a  wider  range  of  more 
delicate  perceptions,  and  we  may  recognize  or  feel  the 
sentiments  or  thoughts  of  friends  around  us  either  in 

O 

the  form  or  out,  especially  if  they  endeavor  to  com- 
municate them.  Hence  the  psychometer  may  perceive 
that  there  are  other  opinions  than  his  own  about  him, 
and  may  pay  them  as  much  deference  as  he  thinks 
proper —  may  reject  them  if  he  does  not  approve,  or 
may  avail  himself  of  the  clear  ideas  which  are  pre- 
sented, if  they  are  acceptable  to  his  judgment.  In 
this  he  is  as  independent  as  in  his  associations  in 
society. 


190  Psychic  Facilities. 

The  state  of  m:diumship  is  a  very  different  affair 
from  psychometric  investigation.  The  medium  sur- 
renders his  brain  to  the  control  of  some  spirit,  and  has 
no  responsibility  for  what  is  uttered,  nor,  in  general, 
any  knowledge  of  it.  The  spirit  may  be  of  high  or 
low  grade  ;  and  we  are  far  from  getting  pure  spiritual 
intelligence1  in  such  cases.  The  spirit  is  using  a  brain 
not  his  own,  and  never  capable  of  using  it  as  freely 
and  naturally  as  the  owner.  The  spirit  expression, 
therefore,  is  very  imperfect  at  best.  But  in  a  large 
number  of  cases  of  mediumistic  utterance  there  is  very 
little  spiritual  influence  present.  The  utterance  is 
not  by  a  real  spiritual  obsession,  but  more  like  the 
entranced  utterances  of  the  mesmeric  somnambules 
modified  slightly  or  not  at  all  by  a  spiritual  influence. 

In  normal  Psychometry  the  individval  has  the  per- 
fect use  of  all  his  faculties  in  his  highest  intellectual 
condition  and  also  generally  in  his  best  moral  condi- 
tion, and  is  capable  of  enlarging  the  sphere  of  his  cog- 
nition by  sympathy  with  either  surrounding  or  super- 
nal mind  with  which  his  powers  may  be  reinforced. 

Psychometry  is  a  dignified,  independent  and  normal 
process,  which  tends  if  rightly  practiced  to  the 
strengthening  and  ennoblement  of  character  and 
mind. 

The  suggestion  that  psychometric  revelations  de- 
pend upon  thought-reading  or  borrowing  thoughts 
from  some  one  present  is  as  groundless  as  the  spirit- 
ual notion.  It  is  much  easier  to  take  an  impression 
from  an  autograph  or  medicine  held  in  the  hands  than 
to  extract  the  information  from  some  adjacent  brain, 
even  if  the  information  existed  there  in  an  accessible 


Psycktc  Faculties.  191 

shape.  The  total  ignorance  of  the  surrounding  circle 
is  r.ot  the  slightest  hindrance  to  the  psychometer  in 
getting  an  autographic  impression,  and  their  entire 
absence  is  equally  a  matter  of  indifference  or  rather 
it  is  a  positive  advantage,  for  the  less  there  is  to  attract 
or  disturb  attention  the  better  for  the  psychometer. 
When  Mrs.  B.  wishes  to  look  into  a  difficult  case  for 
diagnosis  or  morbid  conditions,  she  sits  alone  with  the 
autograph,  with  her  pen  to  record  impressions  as  they 
rise.  If  the  thought-reading  hypothesis  is  strained  to 
suppose  that  her  mind  must  then  reach  out  to  the  dis- 
tant patient  who  may  be  at  the  antipodes,  we  cannot 
but  wonder  at  the  credulity  which  supposes  it  easier 
to  perform  such  a  difficult  task  than  to  feel  the  impres- 
sion from  something  in  the  hands  which  is  as  clearly 
recognizable,  beginning  at  the  hand,  as  a  medical 
influence  from  a  drug  held  in  the  same  manner,  or  the 
caloric  from  a  warm  body. 

Indeed,  such  marvelous  excursions  in  pursuit  oi 
knowledge  (the  elements  of  which  are  in  the  hand) 
would,  if  they  were  practised  often,  be  unsuccessful, 
from  the  fact  that  the  patient  does  not  understand  his 
own  case,  and  is  writing  for  its  explanation  by  the 
psychometer,  who  sometimes  contradicts  his  impres- 
sions, or  reveals  what  he  did  not  suspect  —  or  tells 
him  what  he  cannot  at  first  believe.  When  Mrs.  B. 
wrote  to  a  correspondent  at  Calcutta,  India,  that  he 
was  coming  to  the  United  States  within  two  years,  he 
replied  that  he  did  not  see  any  possibility  of  it.  But 
her  psychometric  intuition  was  verified  within  the  time 
contrary  to  his  anticipations.  She  frequently  speaks 
of  erroneous  opinions  entertained  by  patients  and  by 


192  Psychic  Faculties. 

their  physicians.  Indeed,  the  psychometric  judgment 
is  as  entirely  self-reliant  and  independent  as  any  other 
method  of  arriving  at  conclusions,  and  Psychometry 
gives  us  a  new  method  of  exploring  all  sciences,  by 
our  own  mental  energy.  If  there  were  no  other 
minds  on  earth  or  in  Heaven,  the  true  psychometer 
well  endowred,  could  build  up  all  knowledge  and  phil- 
osophv  in  grandest  amplitude  far  beyond  his  power  to 
carry  it  in  his  mind  or  record  it  by  any  graphic  art. 

The  treasures  of  knowledge  which  in  past  ages 
have  been  thus  gathered  have  perished  unrecorded  — 
the  refined  and  sensitive  minds  of  tropical  regions 
thinking  no  more  of  accumulating  and  recording 
their  too  easily  accessible  knowledge,  than  of  storing 
up  nature's  wealth  of  aromas,  fruits  and  flowers  which 
were  ever  within  reach  inviting  enjoyment. 

In  my  experiments  with  Mrs.  13.  and  others,  I 
sometimes  find  them  incapable  of  answering  a  ques- 
tion, while  the  answer  that  should  come,  is  in  mv 
mind  very  distinct.  Instead  of  giving  my  knowledge 
and  opinions,  they  frequently  state  that  with  which  I 
am  not  acquainted,  and  sometimes  express  opinions 
different  from  mine. 

THE     LOCALITY     OF     THE     PSYCHIC     POWERS. 

While  the  great  intuitional  or  psychometric  centre 
is  Unquestionably  at  the  interior  of  the  front  lobes, 
with  an  adjunct  location  in  the  temples,  it  must  be 
borne  in  mind  that  the  science  c;f  Sarcognomy  dis- 
covers an  outpost  in  the  body  lor  all  the  psychic 
faculties.  The  entire  brain  corresponds  with  tin; 


Psychic  Faculties.  193 

entire  body,  and  whatever  occurs  in  one  has  its  echo 
in  the  other. 

As  love  is  expressed  or  echoed  in  the  bosom,  firm- 
ness in  the  shoulder,  and  the  violent  passions  in  the 
lower  limbs,  so  have  all  the  subtle  spiritual  faculties 
their  corporeal  homes.  The  soul  occupying  the 
brain  as  the  master  occupies  the  mansion,  looks  forth 
upon  the  body,  as  the  eye  of  the  master  rests  upon 
his  garden,  and  as  when  invited  by  a  congenial  season 
of  pleasure,  the  master  leaves  the  mansion 'for  the 
garden,  he  typifies  the  action  of  the  soul  in  occupy- 
ing, for  a  time,  the  body,  to  the  apparent  neglect  of 
the  brain. 

Even  without  this  descent  into  the  body,  the  tele- 
graphic connexion  of  the  brain  with  all  parts,  by 
sensitive  nerves  establishes  so  intimate  a  sympathy, 
that  impressions  on  the  body  become  almost  the  same 
as  impressions  on  the  brain.  Hence  the  medical 
impression  from  medicines  held  in  the  hand  is  in  the 
very  sensitive  instantaneously  recognized,  though  in 
others  it  requires  sometime  to  reach  the  brain  and 
become  understood.  Hence  too,  the  psychometric 
impression  from  an  autograph  held  in  the  hand  is  in 
the  very  sensitive,  so  promptly  recognized,  that  they 
prefer  to  receive  their  impressions  in  that  manner, 
and,  indeed,  psychometric  impressions  of  character, 
like  medical  impressions  may  be  received  in  the 
sensitive  from  any  part  of  the  surface  of  the  body. 

Manifestly,  however,  the  most  perfect  reception 
of  psychic  impressions  may  be  expected  at  that  part 
of  the  body  which  most  nearly  corresponds  with  the 
sensitive  and  somnolent  region  of  the  temples.  Sarc- 


194  Psychic  Facilities. 

ognomy  shows  that  there  is  such  a  locality  adjacent 
to  the  median  line'  of  the  body,  upon  and  below  the 
sternum,  its  chief  location  occupying  a  few  inches 
below  the  ensiform  cartilage  of  the  breast-bone.  (The 
accurate  location  of  the  psycho-physiological  func- 
tions in  the  body  which  constitutes  the  science  of 
Sarcognomy  is  one  of  the  valuable  applications  of 
Psychometry.) 

At  this  location,  somnolizing  effects  are  produced 
by  the  application  of  the  hand  or  by  passes  toward 
this  spot,  and  thus  all  the  phenomena  of  somnambu- 
lism and  somniloquence  may  be  developed  as  effect- 
ively as  through  the  organ  of  somnolence,  in  the 
temples,  by  which  my  pupils  are  accustomed  to 
produce  the  somnolent  conditions. 

Having  thus  cerebral  and  corporeal  organs  of  the 
highest  sensibilities  and  intuitions  in  close  correspon- 
dence with  each  other,  it  follows  that  the  most 
intimate  union  and  co-operation  of  the  soul,  the 
brain  and  the  body,  must  be  possible,  if  any  where 
through  this  apparatus  of  intuition  and  sympathetic 
sensibility,  the  two  locations  of  which  are  always 
in  close  rapport,  each  capable  of  responding  to  the 
other. 

The  cerebrum  has  the  controlling  centre  nearest 
the  soul,  but  when  the  cerebrum  is  in  a  quiescent 
state  as  in  sleep,  some  local  excitement  may  well 
attract  the  psychic  action  to  this  psychic  region  of 
the  body,  and  of  this,  nature  and  art  have  given  us 
ample  illustration  in  spontaneous  and  induced  som- 
nambulism, in  which  the  exercise  of  perceptive  or 
intuitive  power  from  the  sternal  and  epigastric  region 


Psychic  Faculties.  195 

has  long  been  observed  without  comprehending  its 
philosophy,  which  has  been  given  by  Sarcognomy. 

Colquhoun  says:  "  I  brought  forward  abundant 
evidence .  with  the  view  of  demonstrating  the  extra- 
ordinary fact  of  the  occasional  transference  of  the 
faculties  in  certain  states  of  the  organism.  While 
engaged  in  collecting  that  evidence,  I  found  no  want, 
but  rather  a  redundance  of  materials  ;  I  found  myself 
to  be  very  much  in  the  same  situation  with  the  inge- 
nious Frenchman  who  complained  of  the  embarras  de 
richesses;  for  this  reason  I  conceived  it  sufficient  to 
adduce  only  the  most  striking  and  best  authenticated 
instances.  *  *  Several  years  before,  I  had  for  a 
totally  different  purpose,  made  a  pretty  ample  col- 
lection of  the  most  interesting  and  best  authenticated 
instances  of  the  natural  somnambulism  ;  and  it  seemed 
to  me  that  it  might  be  of  use  to  search  for,  and 
examine,  this  collection  with  a  view  to  discover 
whether  it  contained  anything  that  could  confer 
additional  strength  upon  the  cogent  evidence 
already  adduced.  *  I  was  a  good  deal  sur- 

prised, though  pleased,  to  find  that  in  almost  every 
one  of  these  cases,  the  facts  of  the  insensibility  of 
the  corporeal  organs,  and  of  the  transference  of  the 
faculties,  had  been  more  or  less  distinctly  observed. 
I  have  since  been  enabled  to  add  several  very  inter- 
esting recent  cases  of  a  perfectly  uniform  character, 
almost  all  of  which  have  been  reported  with  great 
accuracy  by  professional  men.  The  discovery  of  the 
manifestation  of  the  remarkable  phenomena  in  ques- 
tion appears  to  have  been  almost  always  made  by 
mere  accident  —  they  are  seldom  brought  very 


196  Psychic  Facilities. 

prominently  forward,  and  scarcely  any  attempt  is 
made  to  account  for  them,  excepting  upon  the 
strange  and  inadmissible  hypothesis  that  the  organ 
of  one  sense  supplies  the  place  and  performs  the 
functions  of  others." 

This  mystery  to  Colquhoun  disappears  when  we 
recognize  the  existence  of  a  higher  and  all  compre- 
hensive intuitional  power,  in  which  all  intelligence  is 
concentrated,  and  which  having  a  definite  location  in 
the  cerebrum,  has  also  a  corresponding  location  in  the 
body.  In  consequence  of  this  structure,  psychomet- 
ric or  intuitional  powers  may  be  exercised  either  from 
the  central  or  the  epigastric  location,  and  the  epi- 
gastric location  may  become  the  chief  seat  of  the 
power  or  rather  the  manifestation,  when  consciousness 
being  suspended  by  sleep,  the  entire  brain  has  lost  its 
excitability. 

The  entire  philosophy  of  this  subject  can  be  apprec- 
iated only  after  the  study  of  organology  and  pa- 
thognomy  as  presented  in  the  volumes  of  Cerebral 
Psychology  and  Pathognomy,*  which  explain  the 
relations  of  the  interior  and  exterior  surfaces  of  the 
front  lobe,  and  the  action  of  the  lateral  occipital  region, 
in  suspending  consciousness  (while  reinforcing  animal 
life)  and  opening  the  brain  to  the  influx  of  exterior 
intelligence  which  controls  all  action  without  employ- 
ing the  consciousness  of  the  subject  by  which  the 
mental  processes  could  be  recognized  and  remem- 
oered. 

Hence  the  performances  of  somnambulists  are   like 

*  These  subjects  'will  be  concisely  presented  in   a  new  edition   of  my 
System  of  Athropology,  which  I  hope  to  prepare  in  ISXG. 


Psychic  Faculties.  197 

those  of  spiritual  mediums,  unrecorded  by  memory 
and  unknown  to  the  subject  when  he  returns  to  his 
normal  state. 

That  artificial  somnambulism  is  accompanied  by  the 
power  of  seeing  with  the  eyes  bandaged  and  of  trav- 
elling in  any  direction,  describing  the  regions  visited 
as  if  the  clairvoyant  were  actually  looking  at  them 
has  been  so  often  verified  in  all  civilized  countries,  in 
private  circles,  before  scientific  committees,  and  before 
public  audiences  that  it  is  needless  to  relate  instances.* 

That  natural  somnambulism,  too,  is  accompanied 
by  a  wonderful  exaltation  of  the  perceptive  powers 
and  by  the  perfect  exercise  of  the  senses  when  the 
eyes  are  insensible,  or  when  light  is  absent,  has  been 
very  often  observed,  but  so  limited  has  been  the  circu- 
lation of  th  i  literature  in  which  such  facts  are  embod- 
ied and  illustrated  that  it  is  worth  while  to  refer  to  a 
few  authentic  examples  of  the  exaltation  of  the  senses 
and  their  exercise  in  an  unusual  manner. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  is  the  case  in  the 
thirty-eighth  volume  of  the  French  Encyclopedia,  nar- 
rated by  the  Archbishop  of  Bordeaux,  in  which  a 
young  ecclesiastic  was  accustomed  to  get  up  at  night 
in  a  state  of  somnanbulism,  compose  and  write  ser- 

*  The  absolute  stolidity  of  the.  colleges  and  a  large  portion  of  the  edu- 
cated classes  on  this  subject  shows  that  the  world  is  not  yet  half  civilized. 
No  matter  how  often  the  phenomena  are  demonstrated,  nor  how  many 
thousands  are  convinced,  the  colleges  and  their  text  books  remain  the 
same,  and  the  perennial  crop  of  ignorance  on  this  subject  flourishes  w-ith 
unabated  abundance.  If  the  demonstrations  were  not  continually  renewed, 
the  colleges  would  entirely  suppress  the  knowledge  of  such  facts  and  sus- 
pend the  circulation  of  the  literature  in  which  they  are  made  known.  Our 
entire  University  and  Collegiate  system  needs  to  be  superseded  by  a 
rational  education. 


fpS  Psychic  faculties. 

mons.  After  writing  a  page  he  would  read  it  aloud 
and  correct  it  with  his  pen.  The  Archbishop  held  a 
piece  of  pasteboard  under  his  chin  to  prevent  his  see- 
ing the  paper,  but  he  wrote  on  as  usual,  not  regarding 
the  interruption.  Yet  when  the  paper  he  was  writing 
on  was  removed  and  another  piece  substituted,  he 
immediately  perceived  the  change.  Thus  he  showed 
that  he  was  able  to  perceive  what  he  wished  to  see, 
but  that  he  did  not  depend  upon  the  transmission  of 
light  and  was  not  hindered  by  an  opaque  substance. 

In  this  somnambulic  condition  he  wrote  pieces  of 
music  with  his  eyes  closed,  adjusting  the  notes  and 
words,  and  correcting  errors  as  one  would  do  with  the 
full  use  of  the  senses. 

A  case  of  natural  somnambulism  occurring  in  Switz- 
erland was  reported  by  a  committee  of  the  Philosoph- 
ical Society  of  Lausanne,  and  an  account  of  it  appears 
in  the  Encyclopedia  Britannica.  In  this  individual,  a 
boy  named  Devaud,  thirteen  years  and  six  months  of 
age,  vision  was  exercised  in  rooms  perfectly  dark,  and 
with  his  eyes  fast  closed ;  he  recognized  objects  as 
well  as  if  he  had  their  use.  Like  the  French  ecclesi- 
astic his  vision  was  not  hindered  by  opaque  bodies. 
The  committee  state  that  when  he  was  writing  down 
what  his  master  dictated  "  though  we  put  a  thick 
piece  of  paper  before  his  eyes,  he  continued  to  form 
each  character  with  the  same  distinctness  as  before. 
The  committee  saw  him  with  his  eyes  closed  write  and 
correct  his  school  exercises  and  "  cipher  and  calcu- 
late with  great  exactness."  He  read  the  titles  of  works 
in  rooms  absolutely  dark,  and  "  even  told  the  title  of 
a  book,  when  there  was  a  thick  plank  placed  ^between 
it  and  his  eyes." 


Psychic  Faculties.  199 

What  is  most  extraordinary  in  the  reports  of  natural 
somnambulism  is  not  only  the  possession  of  intuitional 
power,  but  the  suspension  of  ordinary  sensation^  One 
of  the  best  illustrations  of  this  is  a  German  case 
reported  in  the  Transactions  of  the  Medical  Society  of 
Breslau." 

"  Aropemaker,  twenty-three  years  of  age,  was  fre- 
quently overtaken  by  sleep,  even  by  daylight,  and  in 
the   midst  of  his  usual  occupation,  whether  sitting, 
standing  or  walking.    His  eyes  were  firmly  closed,  and 
he  lost  the  use  of  all  his  external  senses.    While  in  this 
state  he  sometimes  recommenced  doing  all  that  he  had 
been  engaged  in  during  the  previous  part  of  the  day, 
from  his  morning  devotions  up  to  the  commencement  of 
the  paroxysms.    At  other  times  he  would  continue  the 
work  in  which  he   happened  to  be  engaged  at  the 
time,  and  finished  his  business  with  as  great  ease  and 
success  as  when  awake.     When  the  fit  overtook  him 
in  travelling,  he  did  not  stand  still,  but  proceeded  on 
his  journey,  with  the  same  facility  and  almost  faster 
than  when  awake,  without  missing  the  road  or  stum- 
bling over  anything.     In  this  manner  he  repeatedly 
went  from  Naumburgh  to  Weimar.    Upon  one  of  these 
occasions,  he  came  into  a  narrow  lane,  across  which 
there  lay  some  timber.     He  passed  over  it  regularly  as 
if  awake  without  injury.     With  equal  care  and  dex- 
terity he  avoided  the  horses  and  carriages  which  came 
in  his  way.     At  another  time  he  was  overtaken  by 
sleep  a  short  while  before  setting  out  for  Weimar  on 
horseback.     He  rode  through  the  river  lime,  allowed 
his  horse  to    drink,  and  drew  up   his  legs   to   prevent 
them  from   getting  wet,  then  passed  through  several 


2OO  Psychic  Faculties. 

streets,  crossed  the  market-place  which  was  then  full 
of  people,  booths  and  carts,  and  arrived  in  safety  at 
the  house  where  his  business  lay." 

"  During  the  continuance  of  the  paroxysm  he  was 
quite  insensible,  though  pricked,  pinched  or  struck, 
he  felt  nothing.  He  could  not  see  when  his  eyes 
were  thrust  open.  He  could  not  smell  even  the 
most  volatile  spirit,  nor  could  he  hear  the  report  of 
a  pistol  when  fired  close  beside  him." 

Dr.  Shultz,  of  Hamburgh,  reported  the  case  of  a 
girl  of  thirteen,  of  respectable  family,  who  in  a  state 
of  somnambulism,  while  her  eyes  were  shut,  distin- 
guished, without  difficulty,  all  colors  that  were  pre- 
sented to  her,  and  recognized  the  number  of  cards 
and  the  stripes  upon  the  painted  cards.  She  described 
the  color  of  the  binding  of  books.  She  wrote  as  well 
as  usual,  and  cut  out  figures  in  paper,  as  she  was 
accustomed  to  do  for  amusement  in  her  waking  state. 
During  all  this  time  her  eyes  were  closed,  but  in 
order  to  be  certain  that  upon  these  occasions  she 
made  no  use  of  her  eyes,  they  were  bandaged  upon 
the  approach  of  the  convulsions  which  preceded  the 
somnambulism . " 

In  a  case  of  somnambulism  described  by  Dr.  Dyce, 
of  Aberdeen,  in  the  Edinburgh  Philosophical  Transac- 
tions, the  patient  was  a  servant  girl,  and  it  is  stated 
that  "  she  became  capable  of  following  her  usual 
employments  during  the  paroxysm  ;  at  one  time  she 
laid  out  the  table  correctly  for  breakfast,  and  repeat- 
edly dressed  herself  and  the  children  of  the  family, 
her  eyes  remaining  shut  the  whole  time. 

It  is  needless  to  give  any  further  illustrations  of  the 


Psychic  Faculties.  201 

independence  of  the  soul  power  and  its  marvellous 
perception  and  intuition  which  grasp  the  truth  with- 
out the  agency  of  sense  or  reason.  The  power  exists 
-  it  comes  out  spontaneously  and  spasmodically  in 
spite  of  neglect  and  repression.  But  never  has  fhis 
power  been  studied  in  a  scientific  spirit  so  as  to  com- 
prehend its  philosophy  and  to  realize  its  illuminating 
power,  when  rightly  directed,  for  all  science  and 
philosophy.  Psychometry  gives  us  a  philosophic 
and  practical  knowledge  of  the  soul  power  as  the 
illuminating  endowment  of  all  humanity,  which  pro- 
tects us  from  falsehood,  leads  us  to  truth,  and  is 
competent  to  give  us  a  mastery  of  limitless  realms  in 
the  unknown. 

There  is  no  limit  to  what  may  be  achieved  by  the 
emancipation  and  cultivation  of  the  soul  powei  in  the 
exploration  of  all  realms  of  knowledge.  Psychometry 
appears  like  an  entrance  into  celestial  realms,  where 
to  will  is  to  have,  and  where  all  knowledge  is  free  to 
its  seeker.  If  this  be  true,  and  be  sufficiently  shown 
in  this  volume,  how  can  we  who  know  these  things 
regard  the  world's  intellectual  history  down  to  the 
present  time  as  anything  but  a  grandly  barbarian 
record  —  a  record  of  physical  knowledge  and  physi- 
cal trimuphs,  accompanied  by  calamitous  ignorance 
in  reference  to  a1!  except  the  mechanic  arts  that 
would  ameliorate  human  destiny.  I  have  dwelt  upon 
the  spontaneous,  or  accidental  illustrations  of  the 
occult  powers  of  the  soul  which  have  appeared  in 
somnambulism.  I  could  add  an  other  illustration  of 
the  same  class  of  accidental  developments  which 
shows  what  marvelous  endowments  may  come  in 


2O2  Psychic  FacnJtics* 

this  spontaneous  way,  and  how  limitless  are  the 
achievements  to  be  expected  when  our  occult  powers 
are  fully  utilized,  instead  of  being  ignored  and 
repressed.  The  case  is  one  related  by  Dr.  Aber- 
cr^mbie,  as  follows  : 

"  A  girl  aged  seven  years,  an  orphan  of  the  lowest 
rank,  residing  in  the  house  of  a  farmer  by  whom  she 
was  employed  in  tending  cattle,  was  accustomed  to 
sleep  in  an  apartment  separated  by  a  very  thin  parti- 
tion from  one  which  was  frequently  occupied  by  an 
itinerant  fiddler.  This  person  was  a  musician  of 
considerable  skill,  and  often  spent  a  part  of  the  night 
in  performing  pieces  of  a  refined  description,  but  his 
performance  was  not  taken  notice  of  by  the  child 
except  as  a  disagreeable  noise.  After  a  residence  of 
six  months  in  this  family,  she  fell  into  bad  health, 
and  was  removed  to  the  house  of  a  benevolent  lady, 
where,  on  her  recovery,  after  a  protracted  illness,  she 
was  employed  as  a  servant.  Some  years  after  she 
came  to  reside  with  this  lady,  the  most  beautiful 
music  was  often  heard  in  the  house  during  the  night, 
which  excited  no  small  interest  and  wonder  in  the 
family,  and  many  a  waking  hour  was  spent  in 
endeavors  to  discover  the  invisible  minstrel.  At 
length  the  sound  was  traced  to  the  sleeping  room  of 
the  girl,  who  was  found  fast  asleep,  but  uttering  from 
her  lips  a  sound  exactly  resembling  the  sweetest 
sounds  of  a  small  violin.  On  further  observation  it 
was  found  that  after  being  about  two  hours  in  bed, 
she  became  restless  and  began  to  mutter  to  herself; 
she  then  uttered  sounds  precisely  resembling  the 
tuning  of  a  violin,  and  at  length,  after  some  prelude, 


Psychic  Faculties.  203 

dashed  off  into  elaborate  pieces  of  music,  which  she 
performed  in  a  clear  and  accurate  manner,  and  with 
a  sound  exactly  resembling  the  most  delicate  modula- 
tions of  that  instrument.  During  the  performance 
she  sometimes  stopped,  made  the  sound  of  retuning 
her  instrument,  and  then  began  exactly  where  she 
had  stopped  in  the  most  correct  manner. 

"After  a  year  or  two  her  music  was  not  confined 
to  the  imitation  of  the  violin,  but  was  often  exchanged 
for  that  of  a  piano  of  a  very  old  description,  which 
she  was  accustomed  to  hear  in  the  house  where  she 
now  lives,  and  she  then  also  began  to  sing,  imitating 
exactly  the  voices  of  several  ladies  of  the  family. 
In  another  year  from  this  time,  she  began  to  talk  a 
great  deal  in  her  sleep,  in  which  she  seemed  to  fancy 
herself  instructing  a  younger  companion.  She  often 
descanted  with  the  utmost  fluency  and  correctness  on 
a  variety  of  topics,  both  political  and  religious,  the 
news  of  the  day,  the  historical  parts  of  scripture, 
public  characters,  and  particularly  the  characters  of 
members  of  the  family  and  their  visitors.  In  these 
discussions  she  showed  the  most  wonderful  discrimi- 
nation, often  combined  with  sarcasm,  and  astonishing 
powers  of  mimicry.  Her  language  through  the  whole 
was  fluent  and  correct,  and  her  illustrations  often  for- 
cible and  even  eloquent.  She  was  fond  of  illustrat- 
ing her  subjects  by  what  she  called  a  fable,  and  in 
these  her  imagery  was  both  appropriate  and  elegant. 
She  was  by  no  means,  says  my  informant,  limited  in 
her  range.  Bonaparte,  Wellington,  Blucher,  and  all 
the  kings  of  the  earth,  figured  among  the  phantas- 
magoria of  her  brain,  and  all  were  animadverted 


204  Psychic  Faculties. 

upon  with  such  freedom  from  restraint,  as  often  made 
me  think  poor  Nancy  had  been  transported  into 
Madame  Genlis'  Palace  of  Truth.  The  justness  and 
truth  of  her  remarks  on  all  subjects,  excited  the 
utmost  astonishment  in  those  who  were  acquainted 
with  her  limited  means  of  acquiring  information. 
She  has  been  known  to  conjugate  correctly  Latin 
verbs  which  she  had  probably  heard  in  the  school 
room  of  the  family,  and  she  was  once  heard  to  speak 
several  sentences  very  correctly  in  French  —  at  the 
same  time  stating  that  she  heard  them  from  a  foreign 
gentleman  whom  she  had  accidentally  met  in  a  shop. 
Being  questioned  on  this  subject  when  awake,  she 
remembered  having  seen  the  gentleman,  but  could 
not  repeat  a  word  of  what  he  said.  During  her 
paroxysms  it  was  almost  impossible  to  awake  her, 
and  when  her  eyelids  were  raised,  and  a  candle 
brought  near  the  cye^  the  -pupil  scc:ncd  insensible  to 
the  light. 

"For  several  years  she  was,  during  the  paroxysms, 
entirely  unconscious  of  the  presence  of  other  persons, 
but  about  the  age  of  sixteen  she  began  to  observe 
those  who  were  in  the  apartment,  and  she  could  tell 
correctly  their  numbers,  though  the  utmost  care  was 
taken  to  have  the  room  darkened.  She  now  also 
became  capable  of  answering  the  questions  that  were 
put  to  her,  and  of  noticing  remarks  made  in  her 
presence,  and  with  regard  to  both  she  showed  aston- 
ishing acuteness.  Her  observations,  indeed,  were 
often  of  such  a  nature,  and  corresponded  so  accu- 
rately with  characters  and  events,  that  by  the 
country  people  she  was  believed  to  be  endowed 
with  supernatural  powers." 


Psychic  Faculties.  205 

"  During  the  whole  period  of  this  remarkable  affec- 
tion, which  seems  to  have  gone  on  for  ten  or  eleven 
years,  she  was  when  awake,  a  dull,  awkward  girl, 
very  slow  in  receiving  any  kind  of  instruction,  though 
much  care  was  bestowed  upon  her,  and  in  point  of 
intellect  she  was  much  inferior,  to  the  other  servants 
of  the  family.  In  particular  she  showed  no  kind  of 
turn  for  music.  She  did  not  appear  to  have  any 
recollection- of  what  had  passed  during  her  sleep  ;  but 
during  her  nocturnal  ramblings  she  was  more  than 
once  heard  to  lament  her  infirmity  of  speaking  in  her 
sleep,  adding  how  fortunate  it  was  that  she  did  not 
sleep  among  the  other  servants  as  they  teased  her 
enough  about  it  as  it  was." 

In  such  cases  as  these,  how  do  we  account  for  the 
preternatural  intelligence  acquired  by  a  dull,  feeble- 
minded girl  when  her  ordinary  life  was  suspended  to 
give  place  to  this  soul-life.  As  the  laws  of  nature  are 
invariable  and  the  elements  of  human  nature  are  the 
same  for  all  human  beings,  it  is  manifest  that  there  is 
a  psychic  power  in  all  human  constitutions  which  is 
the  polar  opposite  of  our  physical  life,  and  which'  in 
its  extreme  operations  withdraws  all  consciousness 
from  the  body  and  enjoys  a  realm  of  clearer  percep- 
tion, deeper  wisdom  and  nobler  impulses.  That  realm 
is  the  realm  of  disembodied  life  which  is  called  the 
spirit  world,  and  they  who  enjoy  this  psychic  exalta- 
tion either  spontaneously  as  by  disease  or  by  artificial 
preparation,  are  in  a  spiritual  condition  approaching 
closely  to  that  of  our  future  life,  when  the  body  has 
been  entirely  cast  off.  These  powers  are  not  confined 
to  the  limited  role  in  which  they  have  been  tested  by 


206  Psychic  Faculties. 

the  puzzled  observers  of  accidental  somnambulism, 
but  extend  to  the  exploration  of  psychic  as  well  as 
physical  worlds  ;  and  volumes  might  be  compiled  of 
the  reports  which  they  have  brought  of  the  conditions 
of  the  spirit  world  and  the  personal  appearance  and 
post  mortem  life  of  thos£  whose  friends  have  enquired 
about  them,  or  of  distinguished  historical  and  relig- 
ious characters. 

In  this,  however,  as  in  all  matters  of  observation 
reported  by  travellers,  we  are  liable  to  receive  no  lit- 
tle error  and  exaggeration,  as  the  observer  (often  very 
ignorant)  may  be  controlled  by  dominant  ideas  and 
prejudices.  Such  revelations  coming  through  theo- 
logical or  sectarian  minds  are  far  from  being  reliable 
for  accuracy,  because  the  conditions  of  the  observation 
are  so  very  different  from  those  of  this  life. 

Here  on  the  earth  the  objective  and  subjective  are 
distinct  and  contrasted  —  yet  even  here  we  may  have 
delusions  from  subjective  conditions,  and  on  the  dim 
horizon  we  may  see  what  we  anticipated  instead  of 
what  exists.  Such  errors  in  microscopic  observations 
are  not  uncommon.  But  in  spirit-life  the  distinction 
of  objective  and  subjective  fades  into  such  dimness, 
that  the  distinction  is  often  entirely  lost,  and  our  imag- 
inations and  emotions  may  make  surroundings  which 
we  fail  to  distinguish  from  tha  immaterial  realities 
which  have  not  the  impenetrability  of  matter. 

If  even  so  great  and,  wise  a  seer  as  Swedenborg  was 
not  exempt  from  such  delusions,  we  may  expe:ttj 
find  them  abundant  in  the  spiritual  literature  of  all 
ages. 

Nevertheless  it  is  by  the  wise   culture  and  regula- 


Psychic  Faculties.  207 

tion  of  the  psychic  faculties  that  the  world  hereafter 
is  to  achieve  its  highest  civilization  and  the  develop-- 
ment  of  limitless  religious  truth  in  place  of  the  blun 
dering  and  superstitious  theologies  which  have  ruled 
the  barbarian  age  of  the  past  and  still  hold  in  sub' 
jection  all  but  a  few  vigorous  thinkers. 

The  coming  century  will  be  THE  AGE  OF  PSY- 
CHOMETRY  in  which  mankind  no  longer  prone  and 
dreaming,  passive  before  the  masters  of  delusion. 
will  stand  erect  in  the  conscious  maturity  of  manhood, 
rejoicing  in  the  comprehensive  knowledge  of  WHA! 

IS,    WHAT    HAS    BEEN,  and  WHAT    WILL    BE. 

Among  the  five  hundred  millions  which  our  Grea) 
Republic  may  attain  in  that  century,  I  shall  not  be  ait 
enrolled  citizen,  but  may  be  remembered  as  the  herald 
who  announced  the  coming  illumination  and  shall 
not  be  invisible  to  the  intelligence  of  that  century. 

That  a  grandly  intuitional  power  resides  in  the 
human  constitution,  that  it  occupies  an  interior  latenl 
position,  and  comes  into  play  best  when  the  faculties 
on  which  we  commonly  rely,  are  quiescent,  ought  to 
have  been  realized  by  all  intelligent  thinkers.  It  is 
shown  in  the  familiar  phenomena  of  somnambulism 
which,  when  it  arises  spontaneously,  usually  begins 
when  the  subject  is  in  profound  slumber,  and  thus 
entirely  unconscious  of  his  surroundings.  It  often 
arises,  too,  when  disease  has  so  lowered  the  energy 
of  the  body  as  to  diminish  its  influence  upon  the 
mind,  or  when  the  bodily  energy  is  still  farther 
lowered  by  the  near  approach  of  death. 

Sir  Thomas  Browne  remarks  in  his  Rcligio  Medici: 
"  Thus  it  is  observed  that  men  sometimes  upon  the 


208  Psychic  Faculties. 

hour  of  their  departure,  do  speak  and  reason  above 
themselves.  For  then,  the  soul  being  near  freed 
from  the  ligaments  of  the  body,  begins  to  reason  like 
herself,  and  to  discourse  in  a  strain  above  mortality." 

In  like  manner  the  best  development  of  the  intui- 
tional faculty  for  Psychometry  requires  that  the  mind 
should  be  withdrawn  from  surrounding  objects  and 
events  concentred  in  the  interior  consciousness,  and 
freed  from  the  disturbances  of  light  and  sound.  In 
fact  the  mind  is  in  so  peculiar  a  state  of  interior  con- 
centration in  Psychometry  that  the  psychometer  is 
apt  to  lose  the  memory  of  his  statements  as  fast  as 
they  are  given. 

"  Somnambulists  (says  Colquhoun  in  Isis  Rcvelata) 
apparently  in  a  state  of  profound  sleep,  rise  from  their 
beds  at  night,  traverse  the  most  inaccessible  places 
without  awaking,  and  successfully  perform  the  most 
delicate  and  difficult  operations*  whether  intellectual 
or  mechanical,  and  all  this  in  the  dark,  and  frequently 
with  their  eyes  closed,  as  in  the  ordinary  state  of 
sleep.  It  has  been  observed,  also,  that  individuals 
while  in  this  state,  occasionally  manifest  a  superior 
knowledge  of  subjects  and  of  languages  which  they 
had  not  previously  studied,  so  as  to  remember  them, 
or  with  which  they  had  been  but  imperfectly 
acquainted.  It  is  likewise  a  striking  peculiarity  of 
this  state  of  existence,  that  upon  Waking  the  indi- 
vidual who  had  thus  insensibily  performed  all  these 
operations,  retains  no  recollection  of  anything  that 
passed  while  he  was  under  the  influence  of  somnam- 
bulism. 

"It  is  worthy   of  notice,  too,  that  the  acts  of  the 


Psychic  Faculties.  209 

somnambulist  are  almost  always  performed  with  a 
degree  of  freedom,  boldness  and  precision,  superior 
to  what  he  manifests  when  awake,  and  that  he  gen- 
erally succeeds  in  accomplishing  everything  he 
attempts.  So  far  as  I  am  aware  there  is  no  instance 
of  a  somnambulist  awaking  spontaneously  in  the 
midst  of  any  operation  he  has  once  undertaken,  nor 
of  his  perishing  amidst  the  dangers  which  he  fre- 
quently encounters.  There  are,  it  is  true,  many 
instances  of  somnambulists  who  have  perished  in 
consequence  of  having  been  suddenly  awakened  by 
the  imprudent  alarm  of  the  witnesses  of  those  perils 
to  which  they  were  apparently  exposed,  but  the 
general  experience  of  all  times  seems  to  lead  us  to 
the  conclusion  that  the  somnambulist  is  guided  by 
other  senses  or  instincts  —  that  he  is  protected  from 
injury  by  other  means  and  guarantees  of  security 
than  those  by  which  his  conduct  is  regulated  in  his 
ordinary  waking  state.  So  long  as  he  is  left  undis- 
turbed in  his  proceedings,  he  acts  fearlessly,  and  is 
safe  —  a  sudden  awakening  alone,  by  restoring  him 
to  his  natural  state,  and  depriving  him  of  the  protec- 
tion of  that  instinct  which  governed  his  actions, 
causes  him  to  perish." 

The  wonderful  intuitions  of  somnambulism  having 
been  observed  chiefly  in  this  abnormal  state,  such 
facts  have  become  isolated  from  normal  experience 
and  psychic  philosophy,  and  it  is  the  duty  of  a  true 
Anthropology  to  show  that  there  is  no  dividing  line 
between  the  wonderful  intuitions  of  clairvoyance, 
etc.,  shown  in  the  somnambulic  state,  and  similar  intu- 
itions which  make  a  portion  of  our  daily  lite,  and 


210  Psychic  Faculties. 

guide  us  to  results  which  are  supposed  to  be  attained, 
by  luck. 

The  successful  physician  acts  upon  an  intuitional 
impression  and  makes  a  perfect  diagnosis,  or  prognosis 
to  the  salvation  of  his  patients,  while  a  more  learned 
competitor  with  no  intuitional  power  becomes  singu- 
larly unsuccessful.  The  intuitional  lawyer  realizes 
the  mental  status  and  attitude  of  a  jury,  and  thus  is 
enabled  to  win  them.  The  intuitional  business  man 
knows  how  to  speculate,  and  with  whom  to  associate, 
in  business.  The  intuitional  general  is  guided  in 
campaigns  and  battles  by  what  passes  for  superior, 
skill  and  knowledge,  but  is  really  superior  intuition. 
Intuitional  lovers  often  know  each  other's  merits  and 
sentiments  or  designs,  independently  of  language, 
and  intuitional  musicians,  such  as  Ole  Bull,  produce, 
under  inspiration,  almost  supernal  music.  Thus,  in 
every  sphere  of  life,  men  are  guided  to  success,  if 
they  have  energy  to  perform  their  tasks  by  an  interior 
light  which  vivifies  and  perfects  their  intelligence,  and 
the  possession  of  this  interior  light  is  revealed,  or 
tested,  in  every  psychometric  experiment. 

The  intuitional  faculty  not  only  mingles  with  and 
illuminates  our  intellectual  processes,  in  which  intui- 
tion is  that  interior  light  without  which  all  would  be 
darkness,  but  is  often  so  fully  developed  that  psycho- 
metric and  clairvoyant  faculties  come  forth  to  the  as- 
tonishment of  their  possessor,  and  the  equal  astonish- 
ment of  the  cultured  but  miscducated  classes,  who  have 
been  most  carefully  kept  in  ignorance  of  that  which 
was  well-known  to  the  ancients,  which  has  been  in 
progress  publicly  and  privately  from  a  pcriud  anterior 


Psychic  Faculties.  2H 

to  the  records  of  history,  but  which  when  forced  upon 
their  attention  to-day  is  received  with  a  profound  arti- 
ficial stupidity,  which  never  investigates  or  reasons. 
According  to  a  late  number  of  the  London  Illustrated 
News,  the  marvel  of  the  hour  in  Paris  is  a  handsome 
young  lady  in  good  society,  of  whom  it  says :  "  All 
secrets  are  apparently  open  to  her ;  she  reads  the  past 
like  a  book,  and  foretels  the  future  with  marvellous 
exactitude  ;  and  yet  her  only  guides  are  the  pins  which 
she  scatters  on  the  floor.  She  is,  perhaps,  most  for- 
tunate with  perfect  strangers.  She  professes  complete 
ignorance  as  to  the  origin  of  her  strange  powers,  or 
the  mental  process  involved  in  their  development." 
There  never  was  a  time  when  such  phenomena  were 
not  in  progress  in  many  places  ;  but  what  avails  the 
sunshine  when  men  shut  their  eyes?  So  long  as  col- 
leges by  false  teaching  perpetuate  a  stolid  ignorance, 
philosophy  must  be  stagnant.  But  the  colleges  are 
losing  their  power  of  repressing  intelligence. 

The  highest  success  in  all  pursuits  is  attained  when 
we  approach  the  most  spiritual  condition  —  that  con- 
dition in  which  our  own  spiritual  energies  seem  eman- 
cipated from  the  obstructions  of  matter,  and  carry  us 
onward  in  a  way  which  is  foreign  to  our  daily  life  and 
all  commonplace  experience.  It  may  be  our  own 
emancipate^  self,  or  it  may  be  as  we  rise  to  the  celes- 
tial plane  of  consciousness,  a  higher  nature  in  sym- 
pathy with  our  own  in  that  sphere  where  sympathy  is 
universal  and  help  not  hindrance  is  the  law,  unites 
with  our  soaring  spirit  to  carry  it  beyond  the  power 
of  its  own  flight.  In  poetry,  in  romance,  in  music  in 
eloquence,  in  heroism,  in  religion,  in  love  and  even  in 


212  Psychic  Faculties. 

painting,   the  entranced   thought   often   leans   on  the 
the  supernal  assistant. 

Shakespeare  is  believed  to  have  written  with  the 
aid  of  inspiration,  producing  his  plays  with  marvelous 
rapidity,  and  George  Eliot  confessed  her  assistance. 
Mr.  Cross  says :  "  she  told  me  that  in  all  she  consid- 
ered her  best  writing  there  was  a  '  not  herself  which 
took  possession  of  her,  and  that  she  felt  her  own  per- 
sonality to  be  merely  the  instrument  through  which 
this  spirit,  as  it  were,  was  acting.  Particularly  she 
dwelt  on  this  in  regard  to  the  scene  in  '  Middlemarch,' 
between  Dorothea  and  Rosamond,  saying  that  al- 
though she  always  knew  they  had,  sooner  or  later,  to 
come  together,  she  kept  the  idea  resolutely  out  of 
her  mind  until  Dorothea  was  in  Rosamond's  drawing- 
room.  Then,  abandoning  herself  to  the  inspiration 
of  the  moment,  she  wrote  the  whole  scene  exactly  us 
it  stands,  without  alteration  or  erasure,  in  an  intense 
state  of  excitement  and  agitation,  feeling  herself  en- 
tirely possessed  by  the  feelings  of  the  two  women." 
He  says,  too,  that  she  had  "  a  limitless  persistency  of 
application." 

"  Continuous  thought  did  not  fatigue  her.  She 
could  keep  her  mind  on  the  stretch  hour  after  hour ; 
the  body  might  give  way,  but  the  brain  remained 
unwearied." 

This  sustained,  unflagging  power  is  characteristic  of 
spiritual  assistance,  as  those  to  whom  it  is  given,  per- 
form without  fatigue  what  would  otherwise  be  exhaust- 
ing. 

The  psychometric  power  is  that  which  reaches  out 
for  inspiration  and  kindles  in  the  glory  of  supernal 
realms  the  light  that  illumes  this  lower  life. 


PART  II. 

USES    AND    APPLICATIONS, 


CHAPTER  V. 

PRACTICAL    UTILITIES  —  PSYCHOMETRY    IN    SELF-CUL- 
TURE—CONJUGAL  RELATIONS   AND   BUSINESS. 

SELF-CULTURE. — Importance  of  Psychometry  in  self-study  and  culture 
Why  advice  is  not  well  received  —  Critical  advice  suppressed  — 
General  insincerity  —  Admonition  needed  —  Prayer  unsound  —  The 
Christian  ministry  inefficient  —  A  confessional  needed  —  Counsel 
required  by  all  —  Follies  and  errors  of  the  great  —  Guardianship 
enjoyed  by  some — What  success  depends  on,  virtue  and  psychome- 
tric power  —  Psychometry  as  a  national  guide  —  The  divine  in 
Jesus  —  In  Psychometry — Will  men  seek  its  assistance — Society 
offers  no  revelation  of  self  —  Imperfections  of  Gallian  Phrenology  — 
Correction  by  observation  and  experiment  on  the  brain  —  Cranial 
descriptions  —  Imperfections  of  Cranioscopy  —  Development  does 
not  indicate  conditions,  culture,  or  soul  power  —  Value  of  a  true 
psychological  system  —  Criticism  on  the  word  phrenology — Value 
of  a  true  cranioscopy  —  Value  of  the  cranium  —  Its  modification  by 
the  brain  —  Value  of  old  crania  for  revelation  —  Objection  to  cre- 
mation —  Psychometry  a  mirror  sometimes  flattering  and  ideal  — 
Great  artists  psychometric  —  Different  modes  of  viewing  character. 

CONJUGAL  RELATIONS.  —  Importance  of  the  conjugal  question  —  Ter- 
rible evils  of  mistakes  and  mistaken  legislation  —  Evils  of  excessive 
propagation  —  Vast  amount  of  deception  and  misfortune  in  mar- 
riage —  Evil  marriage  perpetuates  national  degradation  —  Inadequate 
opportunities  for  true  marriage  —  Disadvantage  of  women  —  Intuition 
their  reliance  —  Psychometric  view  of  married  parties  —  Unfortu' 
nate  marriage  of  W.  and  M.  —  And  of  G.  and  C.  —  Happy  marriage 

i 


2  Self -Culture. 

of  S.  and  A.  —  Continual  mistakes  in  spite  of  intelligence  —  Conju- 
gal unions  as  easily  described  before  as  after  the  event  —  Unfortu- 
nate marriage  of  a  worthy  woman  to  a  great  author — Unfortunate 
marriage  to  a  brilliant  author  but  bad  husband  —  Marvellous  power 
of  Psychometry — Stolidity  of  the  aversion  to  truth  —  Another  bril- 
liant author  unhappy  in  marriage. 

LAW  AND  BUSINESS.  —  Inadequacy  of  law  to  execute  justice  —  Supe- 
rior power  of  Psychometry — Psychometric  commissions  and  arbi- 
tration —  Restraining  influence  over  crime  —  Legal  aspect  of  the 
Question  —  Decision  on  the  guilt  of  the  accused  —  Forgeries  — 
Expert  testimony  —  Examination  of  counterfeits. 

Counsellor,  friend,  and  guide ! 

I  place  my  hand  in  thine, 

To  lead  me  through  Earth's  thorny  paths, 

In  hours  of  darkness,  danger,  and  despair, 

When  stars  alone  give  light,  and  when 

To  souls  illumined  from  within 

All  darkness  disappears. 

PSYCHOMETRY    OUR    MENTOR. 

I  KNOW  of  nothing  in  our  religious  and  intellectual 
life  more  valuable  and  more  needed  at  the  present  time 
than  the  instruction  that  psychometry  gives  as  to  the 
merit  or  demerit  of  our  characters,  whether  innate  or 
acquired,  and  as  to  the  culture  and  development  that  we 
need. 

The  great  majority  of  mankind  go  through  life  with- 
out any  serious  or  persistent  effort  for  improvement. 
Their  habits  are  formed  by  education,  association,  and 
the  struggles  or  conflicts  of  life,  and  they  yield  to  this 
accidental  destiny  without  a  thought  of  controlling  it 
by  any  wise  plan  or  principle. 

When  their  habits,  prejudices,  and  passions  are  thus 
established  they  neither  seek  nor  receive  instruction  as 
to  personal  improvement.  Advice  on  such  subjects  is 
received  with  reluctance.  Those  who  need  it  most 


Self-Culture.  3 

do  not  seek  it,  while  those  who  desire  and  seek  it  for 
moral  improvement  are  generally  the  persons  who  need 
it  least.  Advice  seldom  comes  from  those  who  are 
competent  to  advise  wisely,  and  the  recipient  of  advice 
is  seldom  qualified  to  profit  by  it,  because  the  very  trait 
of  character  which  needs  to  be  subdued  resents  all  in- 
terference, and  perverts  the  judgment. 

The  ill-tempered  map  believes  that  his  ill-temper  is 
natural  and  proper,  and  becomes  angry  if  admonished 
on  the  subject.  The  vain  man  believes  that  he  has  a 
just  foundation  for  his  vanity,  and  cannot  realize  that  it 
is  either  offensive  or  amusing.  The  selfish  man  feels 
that  his  selfishness  is  right,  and  does  not  believe  in  hu- 
man disinterestedness.  The  man  of  coarse  and  vulgar 
manners  is  unconscious  of  the  disgust  which  he  inspires 
in  the  refined.  The  man  of  feeble  understanding  and 
little  ability  to  reason,  does  not  perceive  the  shallow- 
ness  or  silliness  of  his  own  remarks. 

Thus  every  defect  of  character  conceals  itself  from 
the  one  whom  it  degrades,  by  perverting  his  judgment 
and  his  taste,  and  renders  him  not  only  unwilling  to 
improve,  but  unwilling  to  receive  kindly  or  with  ap- 
preciation the  efforts  of  his  friends  to  enlighten  him. 
Having  occasion  once  to  give  a  gentleman  the  scientific 
admonition  that  he  was  not  disposed  to  pay  due  respect 
to  his  superiors,  he  was  surprised  by  such  a  suggestion, 
and  asked  at  once  who  were  his  superiors,  as  if  he  had 
never  supposed  that  a  superior  existed. 

Thus  men  go  through  life  unconscious  of  their  faults ; 
and  their  associates,  who  speak  freely  when  they  are. 
absent,  condemning  them  severely,  suppress  all  such 
criticism  in  their  presence.  Even  the  parent,  or  the 


4  Self-Culture. 

conjugal  companion,  is  restrained  by  the  same  polite- 
ness and  fear  of  giving  offence.  And  generally,  the 
stronger  or  more  passionate  and  energetic  the  charac- 
ter, the  more  does  it  impose  this  restraint  on  the  expres- 
sions of  friends,  and  the  more  intolerant  the  person  be- 
comes of  all  comment  which  is  not  complimentary.  The 
criticism  that  does  express  itself  is  generally  prompted 
by  impatience  and  disgust,  and  hence  only  irritates. 

It  is  not  kings  alone  who  are  deceived  by  courtiers. 
Insincerity  is  the  fashion.  Flattery  is  current  coin 
everywhere ;  and  as  Bonaparte  regarded  lying  as  an 
essential  part  of  the  art  of  war,  deceit  and  flattery  are 
regarded  by  men  of  the  world  as  the  essential  social  arts 
of  peace,  and  the  advice  of  Chesterfield  on  this  subject  is 
generally  accepted. 

The  monitor  is  universally  needed.  The  kind  admo- 
nitions of  the  mother  cease  long  before  they  become 
unnecessary. 

When  earthly  parents  cease  to  warn  and  guide,  it  is 
time  to  look  to  our  heavenly  father  and  the  sacred 
offices  of  religion.  But  prayer  is  not  a  searching  pro- 
cess, neither  is  it  guided  by  a  knowledge  of  what  is 
needed,  for  often  it  assumes  the  form  of  begging,  of 
self-righteousness,  and  of  pragmatic  disquisition  —  the 
long  prayers  that  Jesus  condemned,  but  the  clergy  prac- 
tice. 

The  Christian  ministry  should  here  come  in  with 
searching  and  monitory  power,  but  it  does  not.  The 
minister  is  restrained  by  the  fear  of  offence,  and  by  the 
feeling  that  he  has  not  a  recognized  authority  as  teacher 
or  counsellor.  Even  if  this  were  not  in  the  way,  the 
ethical  education  of  ministers  is  too  imperfect  to  make 


Self -Culture.  5 

them  competent  monitors  and  critics.  Christianity  has 
never  been  so  completely  and  vigorously  interpreted  as 
to  become  a  corrector  of  the  most  frequent  social  evils. 
It  may  check  the  grosser  crimes  and  vices,  but  the 
offences  which  are  not  crimes  flourish  under  the  shadow 
of  the  church,  and  in  the  midst  of  its  membership. 

Avarice,  vanity,  selfishness,  ill-temper,  moroseness, 
peevishness,  exaction,  tyranny,  stubbornness,  sternness, 
and  hard-hearted  coldness,  are  entirely  permissible  in 
the  church,  and  the  man  whose  influence  blights  every- 
thing around  him,  and  carries  him  to  the  higher  world 
a  pauperized  soul,  is  neither  controlled  nor  taught  by 
the  influences  of  his  church  to  rise  out  of  his  moral  deg- 
radation. A  society  composed  of  hungry,  half-pauperized 
toilers,  and  millionnaires  with  pauperized  souls,  who  live 
mainly  for  the  indulgence  of  avarice  and  ostentation,  is 
not  rebuked  or  elevated  by  the  priesthood. 

The  confessional  of  the  Catholic  Church,  if  it  could 
be  administered  by  a  wise  and  enlightened  priesthood, 
on  a  philosophic  plan  would  be  just  what  Protestantism 
deplorably  needs  —  being  one  of  the  most  powerful  agen- 
cies of  moral  progress.  Sometime  hereafter  a  confes- 
sional in  some  form  will  be  restored.  We  all  need  to  lay 
before  friendly  eyes,  our  thoughts,  our  purposes,  and 
our  principles,  that  we  may  receive  impartial  suggestions 
from  those  who  have  not  the  bias  produced  by  our  per- 
sonal interests,  our  passions,  and  our  prejudices,  and 
who  can  tell  us  how  our  purposes  and  actions  look  when 
viewed  by  a  standpoint  different  from  our  own. 

We  need  especially  the  kind  admonition  of  those  who 
can  place  themselves  in  harmony  with  the  higher  spheres 
of  being,  and,  while  giving  us  the  kindest  and  best  ap- 


6  Self-Culture. 

preciation  of  what  we  are  and  what  we  do,  point  out 
the  improvements  that  are  within  our  power. 

It  sometimes  happens  that  this  aid  is  given  to  men 
by  the  sympathetic,  devoted  love  of  a  gifted  wife,  whose 
admonitions  are  never  unpleasant. 

Had  Caesar  obeyed  the  premonitions  of  his  wife,  he 
might  have  lived  through  a  career  grand  for  himself  and 
his  country.  While  the  wife  of  Caesar  divined  his  dan- 
ger, the  wife  of  Brutus  felt  her  husband's  deadly  pur- 
pose, and,  by  her  fierce  courage,  induced  him  to  confess 
it,  but  being  of  the  same  stern  nature  herself,  she  let 
him  advance  to  his  fate,  and  shared  it  by  suicide.  But 
that  is  a  rare  incident :  biography  is  filled  with  examples 
of  women  who  have  warned,  inspired,  and  sustained  their 
husbands. 

None  are  so  entirely  wise,  so  prudent,  and  so  far-see- 
ing, as  not  to  need  on  many  occasions,  an  intelligence 
distinct  from  their  own,  coming  from  some  calm  atmos- 
phere beyond  the  reach  of  passion  and  self-interest. 
Fortunate  would  it  be  if  all  could  have  with  them  con- 
tinually the  guardian  spirit  which  attended  Socrates,  to 
check  when  erring  and  encourage  when  right. 

"  For  no  eyes  have  there  been  ever  without  a  weary  tear, 

And  those  lips  cannot  be  human  which  never  heaved  a  sigh ; 
For  without  the  dreary  winter,  there  has  never  been  a  year, 

And  the  tempests  hide  their  terrors  in  the  calmest  summer  sky. 
So  this  dreary  life  is  passing  —  and  we  move  amidst  its  maze, 

And  we  grope  along  together,  half  in  darkness,  half  in  light, 
And  our  hearts  are  often  hardened  by  the  mysteries  of  our  ways, 

Which  are  never  all  in  shadow,  and  never  wholly  bright, 
And  our  dim  eyes  ask  a  beacon,  and  our  weary  feet  a  guide. 

And  our  hearts  of  all  life's  mysteries  seek  the  meaning  and  the  key." 

—  FATHER  RYAN. 


Self-Culture.  7 

How  fortunate  would  it  have  been  for  the  world  if 
Bonaparte  could  thus,  like  Socrates,  have  been  admon- 
ished and  checked  in  his  career  of  insatiable  ambition. 
How  fortunate  would  it  have  been  for  Carlyle  could  he 
have  been  made  to  understand  himself  and  struggle 
against  that  harshness  and  pessimism  which  vitiated 
his  judgment  and  embittered  his  life,  How  fortunate 
both  for  him  and  Mrs.  Carlyle,  could  he  have  been  made 
to  understand  what  is  now  patent  in  their  biography  — 
the  wide  departure  of  his  own  character  from  a  normal 
and  amiable  manhood. 

All  history  and  all  biography  teem  with  illustrations 
of  the  folly,  the  error,  and  wrong  doing  of  the  great 
recognized  since  by  the  world,  but  apparently  not  real- 
ized by  themselves.  Society  did  not  teach  them, 
and  no  tender  voice  from  the  upper  world  reached  their 
interior  consciousness,  as  it  reached  the  soul  of  Soc- 
rates. 

Yet  there  are  many  gifted  mortals  now-a-days  who 
have  more  than  Socrates  enjoyed.  Who  have  the  daily 
presence  of  a  ministering  guardianship  that  warns  of 
all  dangers  and  cheers  and  invigorates  along  the  path 
of  duty. 

Nor  is  this  beyond  the  limits  of  legitimate  aspiration 
for  all,  for  the  more  entirely  we  conquer  the  lower 
selfish  nature,  the  more  loyally  we  tread  with  zeal  and 
courage  in  the  path  of  duty,  the  nearer  we  come  to  the 
angel  sphere  of  truth  and  clear-seeing  intuition,  which 
enables  us  to  act  wisely  and  well.  The  path  of  duty  is, 
in  the  highest  sense,  the  path  of  safety,  honor,  and 
reward.  It  may  lead  through  conflict  and  apparent 
calamity,  but  it  leads  to  final  success. 


8  Self-Culture. 

The  attainment  of  success  depends  on  our  own 
interior  development,  which  gives  energy  and  wisdom, 
and  on  the  far-seeing  capacity,  which  commands  alike 
the  future  and  the  environing  present,  which  feels  in 
every  direction  the  current  of  destiny,  and  the  latent 
forces  that  impel  it. 

This  few  are  permitted  to  enjoy,  and  this  is  what 
psychometry  brings  us  —  a  sensitive  faculty  which,  with 
semi-omniscient  power  as  far  as  it  extends,  changes  the 
dim  obscurity  of  opinion  and  conjecture  to  the  daylight 
of  knowledge. 

How  fortunate  would  it  be  for  any  one  to  be  thus 
guarded  and  guided  through  life.  How  fortunate  for 
nations  if  their  rulers  would  listen  to  the  calm  monitions 
and  revelations  of  psychometry  portraying  the  true 
character  and  interior  motives  of  all  in  high  places, 
revealing  the  drift  of  the  future,  and  giving  all  the  data 
necessary  for  a  wise  and  prosperous  administration.  I 
hope  it  may  not  be  long  before  nations  shall  thus  be 
led  into  the  path  of  wisdom.  May  it  not  be  reasonably 
expected  in  the  next  century  ? 

If  divine  elements  were  incarnated  in  Jesus  to  show 
the  way  to  a  higher  life,  which,  nevertheless,  has  ever 
been  too  far  above  the  selfish  plane  of  life  to  draw  any 
^reat  number  up  to  the  life  of  real  wisdom,  is  it  not  a 
pleasing  thought  that  the  divine  incarnation  in  another 
form  may  lead  us  gently  upward,  by  coming  to  us  as 
we  are,  and  showing  the  successive  steps  that  we  must 
lake.  For  the  psychometric  guidance  of  humanity  is 
really  the  working  of  the  divine  element,  not  gathered 
n  the  glowing  lustre  of  one  inspired  soul,  but  diffused 
;foruad  in  the  atmosphere  of  thought,  in  the  light  of 


Self-Culture.  9 

intelligence,  revealing  the  truth,  and  showing  the 
attractiveness  of  wisdom,  so  as  to  lead  men  gently  and 
gradually  into  wiser  action,  and  better  methods  of 
living.  The  psychometric  soul  has  the  rare  privilege 
of  approaching  near  the  fountains  of  wisdom  and  holi- 
ness, and  bringing  thence  the  lessons  of  life-conduct,  so 
clear,  so  beautiful,  and  so  satisfactory,  as  to  win  us,  in  a 
most  pleasing  manner,  to  a  better  life. 

Whether  the  unbalanced  and  improper  people,  of 
whom  the  world  is  full,  could  be  induced  to  avail  them- 
selves of  psychometry  for  personal  improvement  is  a 
matter  of  much  doubt.  Yet  however  unbalanced  men 
may  be,  the  doubt  must  sometimes  arise  whether  they 
are  what  they  should  be;  whether  there  is  not  some 
fault  that  hinders  success  or  mars  their  happiness.  The 
unhappy  and  unsuccessful  at  least  would  be  tempted  to 
seek  psychometric  assistance. 

It  is  not  merely  exterior  knowledge  that  we  need, 
but  that  knowledge  of  self,  which,  before  the  advent  of 
psychometry  was  unattainable.  The  advice  of  friends 
has  all  the  imperfection  of  their  own  idiosyncrasies, 
aggravated  by  their  inability  to  understand  our  nature 
in  proportion  as  it  differs  from  their  own,  and  the 
advice  of  the  priest  has  the  same  limitation,  in  addition 
to  the  limitations  of  a  professional  training,  which  has 
carried  his  mind  away  from  the  complex  relations  and 
ethical  peculiarities  of  men  and  women  in  society. 

In  whatever  direction  we  turn,  we  find  the  prayer  of 
Burns  unanswered,  and  "kind  heaven"  has  not  enabled 
us  "to  see  ourselves  as  others  see  us." 

The  Gallian  system  of  phrenology  made  an  approxi- 
mation to  this,  and  has  been  beneficial  to  many  —  but 


I  o  Self-  Culture. 

in  the  first  twelve  months  of  my  attention  to  it,  I  found 
errors  enough  in  the  locations,  the  functions,  and  the 
modes  of  estimating  the  brain  and  the  character  to  im- 
pair very  seriously  its  value,  incomplete  as  its  analysis 
was  at  best. 

I  found  great  humor  where  the  supposed  organ  of 
Mirthfulness  was  deficient,  great  violence  where  the 
supposed  location  of  Destructiveness  was  small  (as  in- 
deed it  was  in  the  Thugs  of  India)  and  great  avarice 
where  the  supposed  organ  of  Acquisitiveness  was  defec- 
tive, as  well  as  great  disregard  of  money  where  the 
organ  was  large  —  arrogant  vanity  where  the  organ  of 
Approbativeness  was  moderate,  and  other  errors  unnec- 
essary to  mention  which  it  required  several  years  for  me 
to  correct  by  close  observation  of  nature.  But  the  cor- 
rections were  made  as  far  as  possible  by  observation, 
and  in  1841  my  discovery  of  the  impressibility  of  the 
brain  and  demonstration  of  its  functions  by  experiment 
(being  able  to  excite  anger,  joy,  religion,  pride,  love, 
hate,  avarice,  hunger,  despair,  fear,  or  whatever  I 
desired  by  stimulating  the  proper  organ)  enabled  me  to 
realize  that  I  had  a  positive,  accurate,  and  complete 
science  of  human  nature. 

Since  that  discovery  I  have  never  described  a  charac- 
ter craniologically  without  satisfying  the  individual  that 
I  understood  his  nature  well.  In  fact  the  parties  were 
generally  more  surprised,  pleased,  and  satisfied  than 
myself.  For  though  very  positive  as  to  the  truth  of  all 
I  told  them  and  scarcely  ever  contradicted,  there  was 
much  beyond,  that  they  did  not  realize.  I  perceived 
the  limitation  of  cranioscopy,  which  though  it  might 
satisfy  the  parties  described  did  not  satisfy  myself. 


Self-Culture.  1 1 

There  were  intricacies  of  character  which  it  could  not 
reach,  and  there  were  the  ever  present  influences  of  ed- 
ucation, association,  health,  heredity,  etc.,  of  which  cra- 
nioscopy  gave  no  information. 

With  a  perfectly  normal  and  well  cultured  brain,  its 
decisions  might  be  entirely  correct,  because  the  actual 
character  corresponded  to  the  original  nature  shown  in 
the  development,  but  morbid  or  educational  deviations 
could  not  be  indicated  by  development.  The  arts  and 
skill,  the  tastes  and  habits  that  had  been  acquired  were 
not  indicated.  Nor  could  the  mere  development  indi- 
cate the  power,  the  quality,  the  improvement,  or  the 
interior  spiritual  energy  of  the  mind,  no  matter  how  ac- 
quired. That  spiritual  power  which  gives  brilliance  to 
a  small  brain,  or  by  its  absence  leaves  the  large  brain  a 
mass  of  dulness,  was  not  a  thing  to  be  measured  by  cal- 
lipers. Nor  do  practical  phrenologists  ever  ascertain 
this,  except  by  observation  of  the  appearance,  voice,  and 
bearing,  or  by  the  exercise  of  their  psychometric  power 
which  many  of  them  use  freely,  professing  to  have  de- 
rived their  conclusions  from  cranioscopy. 

However,  with  a  true  psychological  system  there  is  a 
great  deal  of  interest,  pleasure,  and  benefit  in  the  study 
of  character.  I  say  a  psychological  rather  than  a  phren- 
ological system  because  I  prefer  the  term  psychology 
notwithstanding  its  misconception  by  metaphysicians  to 
the  term  phrenology  introduced  by  Gall,  because  the 
word  phren  or  mind  has.  ,a  more  limited  sense  than 
Psyche. 

The  materialists  who  think  nothing  real  but  matter 
,use  the  word  mind  to  signify  mental  phenomena  merely, 
in  which  sense  it  represents  little  but  the  intellectual 


12  Self -Culture. 

power  of  the  soul,  with  perhaps  a  hint  of  volition.  The 
words  mind  and  character  represent  distinct  aspects  of 
the  soul,  but  neither  represents  the  soul  in  its  entirety. 

Phrenology  therefore  is  an  inadequate  term.  It  was 
used  by  Gall  because  he  was  a  student  of  the  phenom- 
ena of  living  beings  proceeding  from  the  brain,  and  not 
a  student  of  the  soul  or  cognizant  of  its  relations  to  the 
brain  and  its  independent  life,  nor  of  the  transcen- 
dently  psychic  functions  located  in  the  brain.  But  mani- 
festly in  a  true  science  of  man  we  should  recognize  the 
brain  as  the  associate  and  instrument  of  the  soul,  but 
the  soul  itself  as  the  chief  object  of  study,  though 
reached  through  its  cephalic  and  corporeal  environment. 

Yet  cranioscopy,  as  derived  from  the  true  organology 
of  the  brain,  is  a  very  interesting  and  important  study, 
the  value  of  which  I  have  no  disposition  to  underrate. 
It  gives  at  a  glance  the  anatomical  basis  of  the  charac- 
ter, the  congenital  tendencies,  and  in  connection  with  the 
facial  development  of  the  region  of  expression  (not  known 
in  the  Gallian  system)  it  makes  an  approximation  to  the 
actual  acquired  character,  for  the  facial  development  in- 
dicates the  faculties  most  actively  used  or  cultivated. 

Cranioscopy  enables  us  to  comprehend  and  classify 
people  as  we  pass  them,  furnishing  a  basis  for  our  psy- 
chometric intuitions  by  which  we  complete  our  knowl- 
edge. It  makes  a  still  more  accurate  revelation  of 
character  when  we  have  the  skull  in  our  possession,  and 
we  can  ascertain  by  its  interior  condition  the  growth  of 
the  brain  in  one  part  and  its  inactivity  in  another  part 
plainly  indicated  by  the  condition  of  the  internal  lamina 
of  bone,  and  thus  approximate  a  knowledge  of  the  influ- 
ences of  education  and  habit.  The  deeply  indented 


Self -Culture.  \  3 

digital  impressions  of  the  convolutions  on  the  internal 
plate  of  bone  indicate  the  growth  and  acquired  power 
of  the  convolutions  as  positively  as  the  flattened  sur- 
faces from  osseous  growth,  the  thickness  and  opacity  of 
the  bones  indicate  the  torpor  and  atrophy  of  the  subja- 
cent convolutions,  which  we  commonly  find  at  the  upper 
surface  of  the  brain  in  criminal  heads. 

Crania,  moreover,  have  an  especial  interest  in  the  study 
of  historical  characters,  whose  remains  are  preserved, 
and  of  the  ancient  crania  which  tell  the  character  of 
prehistoric  races.  Touched  by  the  psychometric  hand, 
these  crania  will  recall  not  merely  the  character  of  each 
individual,  but  his  whole  life  history,  —  his  muscular  de- 
velopment, his  life  in  the  cave  or  the  forest,  his  battles 
with  wild  animals  or  with  his  fellows,  his  development 
in  language,  art,  and  manners,  in  tribal  government,  in 
domestic  life,  and  his  environment  of  climate,  forest, 
mountain,  morass,  and  natural  convulsions.  Even  the 
extinct  animals  and  plants  of  the  remotest  periods  will 
rise  up  before  the  psychometric  vision. 

I  trust  that  the  fashion  of  cremation  will  not  be  al- 
lowed to  make  indiscriminate  destruction  of  these  pre- 
cious relics  —  "  the  dome  of  thought,  the  palace  of  the 
soul "  —  but  that  all  whose  memory  is  worth  preserva- 
tion shall  have  an  unimpaired  memento  in  the  cranial 
form,  which  is  the  fitting  monument,  the  historical  rec- 
ord of  the  earth -life. 

It  was  deeply  interesting  to  me  to  hold  in  my  hands 
the  cranium  of  Dr.  Spurzheim,  which  was  preserved  in 
Boston,  and  mark  the  indentations  of  his  active  percep- 
tive organs  in  the  supraorbital  plate  of  the  frontal  bone. 

The  study  of  our  character  by  psychometry  is  like  the 


14  Self -Culture. 

study  of  our  features  by  a  mirror  or  by  a  photograph. 
It  shows  just  how  we  appear  in  the  image  we  project  on 
our  surroundings ;  and  as  Narcissus  fell  in  love  with  his 
own  image  in  the  water,  sometimes  the  truly  lovely  and 
modest  are  charmed  in  finding  their  virtues  conspicuous 
in  the  psychometric  portrait. 

There  is,  indeed,  a  tendency  in  psychometric  portrait- 
ure to  a  delicate  flattery.  As  great  artists  are  idealists 
they  give  their  own  ideality  to  their  pictures,  investing 
them  with  a  delicacy  and  refinement  from  their  own 
minds,  different  from  the  hard  realism  of  life.  Even 
the  photograph  has  often  a  greater  delicacy  and  refine- 
ment than  the  original.  The  psychometer,  too,  is  an 
ideal  artist,  more  ideal  than  a  Reynolds  or  a  Lawrence, 
for  the  ideal  faculties  are  the  source  of  his  power,  and 
these  faculties  are  refined  and  delicate  beyond  all  the 
faculties  employed  in  business  or  even  in  art.  Raphael 
and  da  Vinci  had  psychometric  souls.  I  doubt  not  they 
were  actual  psychometers,  although  their  art  was  mate- 
rial in  form.  The  true  psychometer  is  still  more  ideal, 
and  lives  professionally  in  a  delicate  world  of  lights  and 
shadows,  auras  and  influences,  which  are  not  material. 
The  psychometric  power  in  the  brain  is  closely  associ- 
ated with  the  most  refined,  sympathetic,  and  loving 
emotions,  and  hence  presents  the  most  kind  and  sympa- 
thetic view  of  character. 

Yet,  like  other  intellectual  faculties,  its  operation  is 
guided  by  the  elements  of  character,  and  it  may  be  used 
to  look  into  the  recesses  of  depravity.  A  hard  and  sel- 
fish business  man,  if  possessed  of  psychometric  power, 
would  take  more  stern  and  critical  views  of  character, 
and  one  accustomed  in  legal  pursuits  to  study  the  work- 


Self-Cjdture.  1 5 

ing  of  the  selfish  nature  would  be  more  competent  to  its 
psychometric  description. 

We  shall  probably  have  a  great  variety  of  psychome- 
tric talent  brought  into  use  .as  skill  is  developed  for  dif- 
ferent purposes.  We  shall  need  — 

1.  One  for  the  profound  and  kindly  analysis  guided 
by  religious  principle  for  our  self-culture  and  improve- 
ment.    This  is  the  highest  and  most  pleasing  form  of 
psychometry,  and  would  also  be  applicable  to  the  study 
of  conjugal  adaptation  and  the  development  of  children. 

2.  One  for  the  study  of  men  in  business  relations  and 
the  psychometric  judgment  of  business  affairs. 

3.  One  for  investigation  of  diseases  and  remedies. 

4.  A  group  of  different  capacities  for  the  investiga- 
tion of  the  different  sciences  — 

1.  Geology,  geography,  and  astronomy. 

2.  Anatomy,  physiology,  and  zoology. 

3.  Anthropology,  pneumatology,  and  religion. 

4.  Chemical  and  imponderable  energies. 

5.  History,  paleontology  and  evolution. 

PSYCHOMETRY    IN    CONJUGAL   RELATIONS. 

Next  to  to  the  investigation  of  our  own  character, 
with  reference  to  its  improvement,  which  is  one  of  the 
first  necessities  of  practical  ethics,  and  for  which  all  the 
progress  of  civilization  and  religion  down  to  the  present 
time  has  failed  to  furnish  an  available  method  (which 
we  find  in  psychometry),  comes  the  associate  question, 
on  which  the  weal  or  woe  of  many  a  life  has  depended,  — 
Where  shall  we  find  our  other  self,  the  intimate  com- 
panion for  life,  whose  character,  continually  acting  on 
our  own,  shall  elevate  or  degrade  us,  shall  kindle  or 


1 6  Psychometry  in 

extinguish  the  intellectual  flame,  shall  make  a  happy 
home,  in  which  health  and  virtue  are  sustained,  or  dis- 
mal discord,  which  makes  life  not  worth  living,  and 
which  an  insane  moralism  would  perpetuate  to  the 
destruction  of  happiness,  and  the  reproduction  of  a 
demoralized  and  morally  deformed  posterity.  The  the- 
ory of  eternal  conjugality  is  beautiful  and  true,  when 
matches  are  made  in  heaven ;  but  to  perpetuate  the 
folly,  the  fraud,  the  madness,  or  the  lust  which  causes 
many  a  wretched  union  is  to  assist  and  perpetuate  the 
devil's  most  skilful  work  for  the  development  of  a  pan- 
demonium on  earth.  The  record  must  be  false  or  inter- 
polated which  ascribes  such  a  doctrine  to  any  wise  and 
holy  source. 

No  one  can  observe  widely  the  amount  of  domestic 
unhappiness,  and  its  blighting  effect  on  posterity  (of 
which  the  large  number  of  divorces  is  a  poor  exponent, 
since  the  number  who  dare  to  seek  divorce  is  but  a 
small  portion  of  those  who  really  need  it),  without  feel- 
ing that  discordant  marriage  is  the  foundation  from 
which  is  ever  flowing  a  debased  humanity  —  a  fountain 
of  bitter  waters,  which  a  delusive  theology  is  determined 
to  perpetuate.  Nor  can  we  avoid  the  suspicion  that  a 
large  portion  of  the  human  race  are  quite  unworthy  of 
matrimonial  union  and  perpetuation  of  their  own  moral 
and  physical  deformities. 

The  urgent  encouragement  of  marriage  and  child- 
bearing,  devoting  to  this  noble  office  the  most  degraded 
as  well  as  the  best  portion  of  humanity,  is  about  as  wise 
as  the  conduct  of  the  gardener  who  is  content  that  his 
ground  shall  be  covered  with  vegetation,  without  caring 
whether  it  shall  be  flowers  and  fruits,  or  noxious  weeds. 


Conjugal  Relations.  I  y 

That  some  psychometric  guidance  is  necessary  in 
this  most  important  of  all  engagements  is  obvious, 
when  we  reflect  on  the  millions  of  failures  to  realize 
domestic  happiness,  and  the  numerous  obstacles  in  the 
way  of  happy  union,  even  in  our  own  country,  where 
there  is  comparative  freedom  in  the  intercourse  of  the 
sexes.  The  sexual  passion  in  many  is  so  strong  and 
delusive  as  to  make  them  utterly  blind  tojthe  incompat- 
ibilities of  character.  When  the  fire  of  passion  and  the 
glamour  of  imagination  are  at  work,  an  imagination 
greatly  intensified  by  social  restraint  and  artificial  ignor- 
ance promoted  by  the  separation  of  the  sexes,  the  judg- 
ment has  but  little  influence,  and  the  parties  do  not 
realize  that  they  are  deceiving  each  other,  in  their  anx- 
iety to  please  and  win  affection.  The  assumed  amiabil- 
ity vanishes,  even  during  the  honeymoon,  and  the  sensi- 
tive shed  tears  when  they  realize  the  prospect  of  a  dis- 
cordant life.  How  true  was  the  language  of  Byron  :  — 

"  Ah,  few  or  none 

Find  what  they  love  or  could  have  loved, 
But  accident,  blind  contact  and  the  strong  necessity  of  loving 
May  have  suppressed  antipathies 
But  to  recur  again  more  strong 
Envenomed  by  the  mutual  sense  of  wrong." 

From  such  discordant  unions  come  all  the  demoniac  ele- 
ments of  human  life.  The  love  perishes,  and  the  evil 
passions  only  are  perpetuated.  We  see  so  much  of  this 
in  our  own  country  in  comparative  freedom,  we  can 
realize  how  much'  more  debasing  is  the  tendency  in 
other  nations,  where  woman  is  practically  a  slave,  and 
has  little  or  nothing  to  do  in  selecting  for  herself  the 
master  of  her  domestic  bondage.  It  is  chiefly  to  this 


1 8  Psychometry  in 

cause  that  the  relatively  degraded  condition  of  Asiatic 
nations  is  due,  and  it  contributes  powerfully  to  perpetu- 
ate the  morally  uncivilized  condition  of  European 
nations,  which  are  but  little  less  blood-thirsty  now  than 
they  were  two  thousand  years  ago. 

Our  social  opportunities  (especially  for  women)  are 
too  limited  to  permit  the  general  formation  of  happy 
unions.  Millions  who  were  adapted  to  each  other  never 
met.  Marriage  is  a  lottery  of  chance,  directed  by  acci- 
dental proximity,  and  the  woman  or  man  of  really 
marked  and  superior  nature,  for  whom  the  true  compan- 
ion is  as  one  in  ten  thousand,  is  almost  sure  to  miss  the 
true  counterpart  that  would  have  made  a  happy  life. 

Even  with  the  most  assiduous  cultivation  of  society 
by  the  young,  the  opportunities  of  knowing  and  under- 
standing thoroughly  those  whom  we  meet  are  quite 
inadequate,  and  a  psychometric  warning  might  prevent 
many  a  disastrous  union.  Two  cases  occur  to  my  mem- 
ory now,  in  which  misfortune  was  averted  by  psychom- 
etric warning.  A  young  lady  of  great  merit  was 
warned  against  one  who  proved  to  be  an  unprincipled 
impostor,  and  in  the  other  case  a  gentleman  was  warned 
against  an  unworthy  union,  which  he  was  on  the  verge 
of  consummating. 

In  the  following  instances  I  have  brought  psychome- 
try  to  the  post-marital  interpretation  of  the  relations  of 
the  parties.  How  fortunate  would  it  have  been  for  the 
victims  of  the  discordant  unions  if  they  could  have  had 
an  impartial  and  competent  psychometric  opinion  before 
making  their  fatal  mistakes. 

Lovers  cannot  always  rely  on  their  own  psychometric 
intuition,  even  when  they  are  well  endowed  in  that  way, 


Conjugal  Relations.  19 

for  lovers  are  mutually  deceptive,  and  love  itself  is 
deceptive  in  its  optimism.  Two  of  the  unfortunates  in 
the  following  descriptions  were  highly  psychometric, 
but  did  not  think  to  avail  themselves  of  their  protective 
intuitions. 

If  these  pages  should  adequately  impress  the  young 
with  the  importance  of  cultivating  and  heeding  their 
own  psychometric  intuition,  or  else  seeking  the  psy- 
chometric power  of  those  who  are  competent  to  advise, 
I  shall  feel  that  I  have  rendered  an  important  service. 
It  does  not  indicate  a  weak  or  fanciful  mind  to  pay 
respect  to  its  own  intuitions,  which  are  very  different 
from  whims  or  fancies,  and  have  guided  the  greatest 
minds.  Goethe  says  :  — 

"One  soul  may  have  a  decided  influence  upon 
another,  merely  by  means  of  its  silent  presence,  of 
which  I  could  relate  many  instances.  It  has  often  hap- 
pened to  me  that  when  I  have  been  walking  with  an 
acquaintance,  and  have  had  a  living  image  of  something 
in  my  mind,  he  has  at  once  begun  to  speak  of  that  very 
thing.  I  have  also  known  a  man  who,  without  saying  a 
word,  could  suddenly  silence  a  party  engaged  in  cheer- 
ful conversation  by  the  mere  power  of  his  mind.  Nay, 
he  could  also  introduce  a  tone  which  would  make  every- 
body feel  uncomfortable.  We  have  all  something  of 
electric  and  magnetic  force  within  us.  ...  It  is  possi- 
ble, nay,  even  probable,  that  if  a  young  girl  were,  with- 
out knowing  it,  to  find  herself  in  a  dark  chamber  with  a 
man  who  designed  to  murder  her,  she  would  have  an 
uneasy  sense  of  his  unknown  presence,  and  that  an 
anguish  would  come  over  her  which  would  drive  her  to 
the  family  parlor." 


2O  PsycJiomctry  in 

Men  have  generally  an  advantage  in  their  greater 
energy  and  force  of  character,  which  enables  them  to 
impress  and  even  delude  their  junior  females,  who  amia- 
bly yield  to  their  fascination.  Women  with  but  limited 
opportunities  of  studying  the  masculine  character  have 
yet  a  valuable  resource  in  their  psychometric  intuition, 
if  they  will  but  firmly  use  it,  and  recoil  from  all 
approaches  in  which  they  do  not  recognize  moral  worth 
and  sincere  love.  But  unless  they  are  firm  and  cool 
they  may  still  realize  the  fate  of  the  bird,  when  the  fas- 
cinating eyes  of  the  serpent  deprive  it  of  the  power  to 
escape.  What  unhappy  examples  of  this  have  I  not 
witnessed.  I  feel  it  my  duty  to  urge  upon  all  the  culti- 
vation of  the  inner  light  of  the  soul,  and  obedience  to 
its  dictation  in  the  conduct  of  life. 

Alas !  that  we  so  slowly  learn  to  heed 
The  secret  signs  and  omens  of  the  breast ! 
An  oracle  speaks  low  within  our  hearts, 

Low,  still,  yet  clear,  its  prophet  voice  forewarns 

What  to  pursue,  what  shun. — Hemans. 

PSYCHOMETRIC    VIEW    OF    MARRIED    PARTIES. 

No.  I.  W.  and  M.  I  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  B. 
the  names  of  W.  and  M.  asking  her  to  decide  on  the 
conjugal  adaptation  of  the  parties  ;  she  said  : 

"  I  think  these  parties  are  married,  but  I  don't  think 
they  are  adapted  to  each  other.  They  had  too  much 
individuality.  There  was  more  affection  on  the  part  of 
the  woman  than  the  man.  The  woman  has  passed 
over  to  the  other  world.  She  had  pride  of  character 
and  was  ambitious  —  paid  great  regard  to  public  opin- 
ion. She  was  a  true  woman  and  devoted  mother.  Her 


Conjugal  Relations.  21 

relations  to  her  husband  were  not  entirely  distasteful 
to  heY,  but  there  were  points  in  their  characters  which 
did  not  harmonize.  It  seems  to  me  they  lived  apart. 
There  was  not  love  enough  to  keep  them  together,  and 
to  tolerate  each  others  faults.  A  cold  indifference 
came  on.  He  would  rather  be  out  of  her  society  than 
in  it. 

"  He  is  not  very  constant,  has  not  much  affection  — 
would  not  treat  any  woman  well.  He  was  selfish  and 
crafty  and  had  very  limited  ideas  of  any  woman's  needs. 
He  is  a  strong  intellectual  man,  ambitious  in  some 
directions  and  very  peculiar.  He  did  not  care  so  much 
for  public  opinion,  and  might  do  things  she  could  not 
approve  of.  He  was  not  liberal  to  his  wife,  would  not 
give  more  than  the  law  required.  I  do  not  see  any 
open  rupture  with  his  wife  though  they  lived  apart. 
He  would  be  apt  to  go  off. 

(What  offspring  would  they  be  likely  to  have  ? ) 
"They  would  not  be  very  exemplary  or  scrupulous." 
This  description  I  know  to  be  entirely  true.     The 
husband  deserted  his  wife  (a  very  superior  woman)  and 
left  her  to  struggle  for  the  support  of  the  family.      I 
know  also  that  one  of  her  children  gave  her  a  great 
deal  of  trouble.     Notwithstanding  her  ill  treatment  she 
would  not  seek  a  divorce. 

No.  2.  G.  and  C.  I  gave  her  the  names  of  G.  and  C. 
to  describe  as  being  persons  whose  conjugal  adaptation 
I  wished  to  ascertain.  Of  C.  she  said,  "This  is  a 
woman  of  good  disposition  and  clear  mind,  possessing 
a  good  deal  of  merit  and  energy  —  an  intelligent  woman. 
She  is  somewhat  domestic,  but  likes  public  life  better 
than  the  domestic  circle.  She  is  not  very  affectionate 


22  Psychometry  in 

and  is  rather  selfish,  but  is  a  pleasing,  attractive 
woman,  fond  of  the  fine  arts,  especially  music.  0  She 
is  proud  and  does  not  sacrifice  anything  for  others." 

Of  G.  she  said,  "This  is  a  very  good  man,  a  splen- 
did man —  a  little  odd  —  has  some  eccentricities.  He 
is  a  good  friend.  He  has  fine  intellectual  powers." 

(Would  these  parties  be  likely  to  marry?)  "I  think 
they  are  married.  They  agree  in  some  things  but  alto- 
gether their  dispositions  are  not  alike." 

(What  sort  of  domestic  life  would  they  have  ? )  "  Not 
smooth — it  was  not  a  happy  union,  but  I  see  no  impor- 
tant causes  of  discord  unless  there  was  some  outside 
influence.  There  is  no  great  discord  between  them. 
They  have  love  enough  to  do,  but  no  ardent  affection. 
They  do  not  seem  to  be  together  though  they  may  be  in 
communication.  I  do  not  see  any  divorce."  (This  is 
all  true.) 

(What  offspring  would  they  probably  have  ? )  " They 
would  be  bright  children  but  show  marked  differences. 
The  parental  characters  would  not  be  blended  in  them." 

No.  3.  S.  and  A.  I  asked  her  to  give  the  character 
and  conjugal  adaptation  of  S.  and  A.  Of  A.  she  said, 
"There  is  something  in  this  woman  to  admire.  She 
has  intelligence  and  gentleness  —  a  good  deal  of  love 
and  good  womanly  qualities.  She  would  stick  close  to 
her  husband,  bear  a  great  deal  for  him,  be  very  attentive 
in  sickness,  suffering,  and  poverty,  and  devoted  to  her 
children  if  she  has  any  (Is  she  married  ? )  I  think  she  is." 

Of  S.  I  asked,  "Is  she  married  to  this  man  ?"  She 
replied,  "  There  is  an  adaptation,  I  should  think  this  was 
her  husband.  They  lead  a  happy  life,  because  they  are 
adapted  to  each  other  mentally  and  physically.  He  is  a 


Conjugal  Relations.  23 

substantial  man,  of  good  executive  ability.  He  is  per- 
fectly satisfied  with  his  wife  and  exerts  himself  to  make 
her  happy.  They  are  well  adapted  to  each  other  —  not 
exacting  over  each  other,  but  willing  to  accord  mutual 
rights.  They  will  be  apt  to  have  good  children  that 
will  turn  out  well.  They  would  make  home  attractive 
to  their  children." 

All  of  this  description  I  know  to  be  strictly  true. 
Their  children  bid  fair  to  do  them  honor.  A  noble  off- 
spring might  have  been  expected  from  the  first  parties, 
W.  and  M.  for  both  parents  had  superior  abilities,  but 
there  was  neither  adaptation  nor  love,  and  the  children 
were  far  below  the  parental  standard,  and  the  marriage 
was  altogether  an  unhappy  one.  Possibly  the  six 
parties  may  be  recognized,  as  I  have  given  their  true 
initials. 

The  two  unfortunate  marriages  were  by  persons  of 
high  intelligence  and  intuitive  quickness  of  perception. 
A  superior  psychometric  power  could  have  told  them 
as  well  beforehand  of  the  results  and  saved  them  from  so 
serious  a  mistake. 

But  the  same  sad  domestic  tragedy  is  going  on  daily 
all  over  the  world  and  will  continue  until  psychometric 
wisdom  shall  be  invoked  for  guidance. 

I  have  selected  for  illustration  these  accomplished 
results,  because  no  demonstration  would  be  afforded  at 
present  by  a  prediction  which  requires  years  for  fulfil- 
ment. The  psychometer  can  describe  with  as  much 
ease  a  character  not  yet  unfolded  or  tested,  and  a  union 
that  is  only  proposed,  as  he  can  describe  the  man  and 
women  whose  careers  are  known.  It  is  as  easy  to  de- 
scribe any  celebrity  at  the  beginning  of  his  career  when 


24  Psychometry  in 

his  abilities  and  true  character  are  unknown,  as  after  he 
has  made  his  fame.  In  either  case  the  psychometer 
has  but  the  intuitions  to  guide  him  which  arise  from 
touching  a  name,  a  picture  or  an  autograph. 

There  are  characters  well  known  to  the  public, 
whose  domestic  life  has  become  a  familiar  story.  I 
submitted  the  question  of  their  lives  to  Mrs.  B.  by  plac- 
ing in  her  hands  a  photograph,  and  after  its  description 
a  name  written  on  a  small  slip.  Without  seeing  either, 
(the  photograph  and  the  writing  being  turned  down), 
she  gave  the  following  descriptions  —  first  from  the 
photograph  which  ga^ve  her  a  great  intellectual  stimu- 
lus. I  too  felt  its  intellectual  brightness.  My  percep- 
tions in  such  cases  begin  as  soon  as  she  takes  the 
subject  and  sometimes  before  she  has  spoken.  The 
following  is  her  exact  language  : 

No.  4.  —  "  This  is  a  brightening  stimulating  influence 

—  a  very  magnetic  person.     There's  a  great  deal    of 

coolness  and  judgment  here.     I  do  not  perceive  readily 

whether  he  is  living  —  but   I   think   it   is   a  deceased 

person. 

"  I  am  taken  into  very  studious  intellectual  surround- 
ings. It  seems  a  man  of  a  good  deal  of  literary  power. 
Was  he  an  editor,  or  lawyer,  or  professional  character? 
His  life  seems  devoted  to  intellectual  pursuits.  He 
was  stirring,  having  great  executive  powers,  yet  a  good 
deal  of  repose.  He  was  dignified  and  methodical. 

"He  had  great  opportunities  to  display  his  abilities. 
He  was  of  humanitarian  sentiments,  and  did  much  to 
promote  humanitarian  principles.  If  he  had  wealth  he 
would  do  generous  acts.  I  cannot  see  anything  military 
about  him. 


Conjugal  Relations.  2$ 

(What  was  he  as  a  writer  ?)  "I  don't  know  whom  to 
compare  him  to.  He  does  not  seem  a  poet,  though  he 
could  write  blank  verse  —  Miltonic.  His  prose  writ- 
ings, though  eccentric  in  style,  would  give  him  a  high 
rank.  I  should  like  to  read  his  productions.  I  should 
think  he  was  more  like  Carlyle  than  any  one  else  I  can 
think  of. 

(What  was  his  domestic  character ?)  "I  don't  admire 
his  domestic  character.  There  is  something  about  it 
not  attractive.  To  judge  from  his  writings  you  would 
not  understand  his  disposition.  He  was  not  amiable  or 
tolerant.  He  had  too  much  of  the  fault-finding  bull- 
dog disposition.  He  seems  an  Englishman  —  certainly 
not  an  American.  He  is  moody.  His  life  was  not  one 
of  pleasure,  but  devoted  to  one  routine.  He  loved  his 
vocation  if  he  loved  anything.  He  did  not  spend  much 
of  his  time  in  a  social  way.  He  was  not  at  home  with 
many  people. 

(Did  he  have  a  wife  ? )  "  Yes,  he  had  a  wife.  He 
would  think  a  wife  a  necessity  —  had  a  sort  of  owner- 
ship of  a  wife.  I  don't  admire  his  conjugal  qualities. 
He  impresses  me  as  being  overworked  all  the  time. 

"This  man  was  a  contradiction  in  himself.  While  he 
wrote  on  great  subjects  and  interested  his  readers,  he 
was  personally  the  reverse.  One  would  be  struck  with 
the  dissimilarity.  You  could  not  know  him  from  his 
writings.  He  had  some  good  objects  :  was  not  alto- 
gether morose ;  had  some  moments  when  his  better 
feelings  predominated,  making  him  quite  agreeable ; 
but  that  was  not  his  usual  condition.  I  see  things  in 
him  that  many  would  not  observe." 


26  Psychometiy  in 


IMPRESSIONS  FROM  THE  PENCILLED  NAME. 

"  There  is  not  as  conspicuous  intellectual  brightness 
as  in  the  last.  This  person  did  not  give  out  as  much, 
but  there  is  a  good  deal  of  thought  —  it  was  an  elo- 
quent person  —  very  matured.  It  seems  a  strong 
woman  takes  me  into  the  sphere  of  woman  with  a  good 
deal  of  individuality.  I  think  she  has  passed  over  — 
she  is  not  living.  She  was  a  woman  of  great  forbear- 
ance, not  endowed  with  a  retaliating  spirit.  She  would 
rather  bear  and  suffer  abuse  than  retaliate.  She  had 
most  excellent  control  over  herself. 

"  I  think  she  had  authorship.  She  had  the  ability 
certainly,  and  I  think  she  exercised  it  —  not  to  any 
considerable  extent,  did  not  make  it  her  aim.  She  was 
intellectual  and  proud  of  mingling  with  intellectual  and 
cultured  people.  She  seems  a  prominent  person  of 
some  distinction. 

(Was  she  married ? )  "I  think  she  was  married,  but 
not  happily.  She  did  not  have  a  happy  domestic  life. 
Her  husband  was  not  satisfied.  He  was  a  restless, 
ambitious  man,  not  satisfied  with  her.  He  was  not 
calculated  to  make  any  woman  happy  —  would  rather 
consider  woman  an  appendage  than  a  companion.  I 
think  she  had  a  great  many  melancholy  seasons  in  her 
life  brought  about  by  this  unfortunate  domestic  state. 
It  reminds  me  of  Josephine." 

(Is  there  any  connection  between  the  two  characters 
you  have  just  described  ? )  After  hesitation  and  careful 
consideration  she  said,  "  I  think  they  were  connected 
by  marriage." 


Conjugal  Relations.  27 

It  only  remains  for  me  to  add  that  the  two  parties 
were  THOMAS  CARLYLE,  the  author,  and  his  wife. 

I  then  gave  her  another  pencilled  name  and  received 
the  following  impression  in  answer  to  the  question, 
What  do  you  say  to  this  female  ? 

"There  is  a  serenity  of  character  but  not  a  vigorous 
mind,  with  amiable  qualities  and  a  desire  of  performing 
benevolent  acts,  domestic  and  cheerful,  a  person  that 
would  not  be  much  disturbed  or  chafed  by  reverses  — 
has  equanimity  and  courage." 

(Was  she  married  ? )  "  Yes.  She  would  show  obedience 
to  her  husband,  have  great  respect  for  him.  He  was 
not  morose  or  sullen,  more  convivial.  She  was  some- 
what comfortable  but  not  happy  in  her  marriage  rela- 
tion. There  was  a  constrained  feeling.  Her  husband 
was  likely  to  neglect  the  civilities  that  belong  to  a  wife. 
He  was  absorbed  in  his  own  pursuits  and  might  not 
have  intended  to  neglect  her,  but  she  seems  very  much 
alone,  isolated  in  her  affections. 

"  She  was  well  aware  that  she  was  not  treated  rightly, 
but  made  great  allowance  for  him.  It  seems  to  me  she 
was  separated.  He  may  have  neglected  her  for  others. 
They  had  many  wordy  contests.  He  was  an  excitable 
man  and  might  have  indulged  in  stimulus.  She  bore  a 
great  deal  uncomplaining  before  she  made  her  troubles 
known.  She  may  have  been  induced  finally  to  retaliate 
by  advice  of  her  friends  to  vindicate  herself." 

(What  of  her  husband,  placing  his  name  in  her  hand  ?) 
"This  is  a  high  spirited,  arrogant,  self-willed  man,  but  a 
brilliant  man  nevertheless.  He  had  something  to  be 
proud  of.  He  could  wield  his  pen  on  any  subject  in  any 
direction  he  chose,  had  an  exceedingly  prolific ,  mind. 


28  Psychometry  in 

But  his  affectional  nature  was  stinted.  He  had  a  vivid 
imagination  and  might  dwell  on  romantic  themes,  but 
had  not  a  deep  soul. 

"  He  had  a  literary  career.  He  was  a  favorite  with 
the  public.  His  writings  were  sound  and  logical  with  a 
vein  of  poetry.  He  had  great  ideality,  and  perhaps 
sublimity,  had  a  fertile  imagination  and  could  write 
upon  a  variety  of  subjects.  He  might  write  on  govern- 
mental subjects,  might  write  with  humor  and  sarcasm. 
His  forte  was  to  write  novels,  romances.  He  had  a 
weird  style,  something  like  Bulwer's.  It  is  more  like 
his  writings  so  far  as  I  know  than  any  other." 

(What  was  his  domestic  character  ? )  "He  had  a  pecu- 
liar interior  life,  sometimes  that  would  come  to  the 
surface  and  appear  flat  and  insipid.  It  would  not 
appear  to  the  public. 

"It  seems  he  was  addicted  to  some  sort  of  stimulus 
that  changed  him  at  times,  alternating  between  the 
merry  and  the  grand.  Sometimes  he  would  write  little 
unbecoming  things.  In  his  younger  days  he  might 
write  boyish  things  to  women.. 

"To  his  wife  he  would  be  at  times  over  tender  and 
loving,  and  then  in  an  hour's  time  find  cause  for  dis- 
turbance and  be  harsh  if  not  abusive.  He  had  a  strange 
disposition.  I  think  some  stimulus  was  the  cause. 

"I  think  his  conduct  produced  a  separation  —  he  be- 
came intolerable  and  her  feelings  were  injured  too  much 
to  bear  it." 

(Is  he  living?)  "I  think  he  is  not  living,  but  his 
writings  are,  and  she  is  either  dead  or  in  obscurity." 

These  parties  were  SIR  EDWARD  BULWER  LYTTON 
and  his  wife.  I  have  brought  forward  the  examination 


Conjugal  Relations.  29 

of  the  Bulwer  and  Carlyle  families  not  to  investigate 
the  genius  of  the  authors,  but  to  show  the  marvellous 
power  of  ^>sychometry  to  investigate  any  past  or  pass- 
ing or  future  life. 

This  intuitive  power  is  to  me  a  standing  miracle,  a 
perpetual  revelation  of  the  divinity  in  man.  The  won- 
derful power  which  only  needs  to  touch  a  word  as  an 
index  to  the  subject  for  investigation  and  forthwith 
assumes  as  through  a  knowledge  of  men's  interior  lives 
as  if  their  biographies  had  been  studied,  and  takes  in 
a  panoramic  view  of  life  from  childhood  to  its  present 
status  in  the  world  above,  is  a  miracle  before  which  I 
bow  in  reverence,  and  in  which  I  see  the  noblest  spe- 
cial gift  of  God  to  man,  which  our  poor  half  developed 
and  irreverent  humanity  has  for  ages  ignored  or  despised. 
Verily  the  pearls  have  been  cast  before  swine ! 

Not  quite  so  marvellous  but  still  to  me  a  wonder,  is 
the  profound  stolidity  and  intense  aversion  to  truth 
which  in  former  times  assumed  a  ferocious  aspect,  and 
assailed  such  divine  gifts  and  revelations  of  truth  with 
halter,  dungeon,  sword,  and  fire,  and  now  when  diab- 
olism is  superseded  by  the  stolidity  of  selfishness, 
permits  such  things  to  be  in  progress  undisturbed  by 
the  executioner,  but  neither  honors  nor  seeks  them, 
and  prefers  to  turn  away  and  walk  in  the  treadmill  steps 
of  ancient  ignorance.  Coming  generations  will  realize 
the  barbarism  of  society  to-day,  the  enlightened  realize 
it  now. 

One  more  example  of  intellectual  brilliance  and  con- 
jugal unhappiness,  I  have  thought  it  interesting  to 
examine.  The  world  attaches  too  much  value  to  the 
intellectual  powers,  and,  indeed,  to  any  form  of  power, 


36  Psychomctry  in 

and  too  little  to  the  other  qualities  of  the  soul  which 
alone  can  give  happiness  to  the  possessor  and  his  asso- 
ciates. Such  a  mistaken  estimate  is  fatal  to*  conjugal 
happiness.  When  women  learn  to  prefer  soul  to  display 
and  wealth,  their  sentiments  will  have  a  powerful  influ- 
ence on  society,  but  shallow  souled  women  contribute 
to  the  tide  of  social  degeneracy. 

No.  5.  —  (This  is  a  male  —  give  me  his  character.) 

"There  is  something  peculiar  in  this  mind.  I  don't 
get  hold  of  him  readily,  but  he  impresses  me  with  a 
great  deal  of  brightness  and  nervous  energy  and  suscep- 
tibility. He  seems  bright  and  vivid  like  a  living  person, 
but  I  am  not  sure  —  I  must  wait. 

"There  is  so  much  ambition  and  push  to  the  character, 
I  cannot  command  the  language  for  it.  His  faculties 
are  so  concentrated  in  what  he  does —  he  does  not  plod 
over  his  plans,  but  dashes  right  ahead  without  fear  or 
favor — a  strong  individuality  unlike  any  one  I  have 
ever  described.  It  is  vivid  as  a  living  person. 

"He  was  over-reaching  sometimes.  It  would  be 
better  for  him  if  he  had  more  coolness  in  his  nature. 
Was  he  not  military  ?  I  think  he  was.  It  carries  me 
into  military  operations.  I  scarcely  know  where  to 
place  him  his  mind  was  so  kaleidoscopic. 

(Can  you  perceive  his  favorite  pursuits  or  talents?) 

"  He  was  politic  in  his  relations  to  the  public.  He 
was  devoted  to  literature  but  did  not  write  very  exten- 
sively. He  had  great  descriptive  powers  and  excelled 
in  description  both  in  prose  and  poetry.  He  wrote 
plays.  He  was  restless  —  a  traveller  in  mind  and 
body. 

(What  was  his  reputation  derived  from?) 


Conjugal  Relations.  31 

"  From  his  writings.  The  fertility  of  his  mind  was 
so  great  that  people  who  heard  of  him  would  want  to  see 
him.  In  the  variety  of  his  mind  and  moods  he  was  more 
like  Byron  than  any  one  else  I  can  recall.  His  poetry 
would  compare  closely  with  Byron's.  It  brings  up  my 
old  song,  '  My  soul  is  dark.' 

"  His  social  position  was  high.  He  was  a  favorite 
with  the  nobility.  He  had  some  title.  His  social  life 
was  largely  convivial.  But  he  had  moods,  and  at  times 
he  was  very  depressed  —  very  frequently  —  and  at  such 
times  he  would  write  very  grandly.  He  was  not  what 
might  be  called  a  happy  man.  His  disposition  was  not 
adapted  to  happiness.  Whether  it  was  hereditary  or 
some  other  misfortune  connected  with  his  birth,  I  think 
he  was  not  a  happy  man  and  he  had  not  good  self- 
control. 

(Was  he  married  ? ) 

"  He  was  married,  but  his  conjugal  life  was  not  happy. 
He  was  unfortunate  in  not  selecting  his  proper  adapta- 
tion. He  was  not  the  man  to  make  any  woman  happy. 
He  had  lovo»  but  not  the  qualities  that  make  conjugal 
life  happy.  He  expended  his  love  on  the  creatures  of 
his  imagination.  There  are  many  contradictions  in  his 
character.  He  would  not  be  constant  to  one  woman  in 
attentions,  and  I  think  there  was  some  jealousy  in  his 
nature.  He  wanted  more  in  a  wife  than  it  would  be 
possible  for  a  woman  to  yield.  It  makes  me  restless  to 
talk  about  him. 

"There  was  a  separation  from  his  wife  and  a  great 
deal  of  scandal,  and  even  censure  on  both  —  each  had 
their  friends.  I  will  not  say  which  was  most  to  blame. 


32  Psychometry  in 

They  never  understood  each  other,  and  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  any  woman  to  be  happy  with  him  as  a  wife 
from  his  temperament.  He  had  a  cross  to  bear  all  his 
life  —  a  skeleton  that  destroyed  his  happiness. 

(Was  his  domestic  unhappiness  from  selfishness  ? ) 

"No,  he  was  not  selfish  or  avaricious,  but  prodical. 
He  was  of  a  vacillating  disposition  towards  women,  and 
they  would  not  place  much  confidence  in  him. 

(You  spoke  at  first  of  a  military  life  —  what  do  you 
say  of  that  ? ) 

"  I  don't  know  exactly.  There  was  something  in  his 
life  that  partook  of  the  military  spirit. 

"He  is  not  living,  but  his*  writings  are,  and  are 
exceedingly  prized.  He  had  not  a  strong  constitution. 
He  lived  fast,  with  gay  companions  and  late  hours,  and 
passed  away  too  soon.  He  did  not  live  long  enough  to 
develop  the  possibilities  that  were  in  his  nature.  The 
more  I  feel  this  character,  the  more  it  seems  like 
Byron." 

It  was  a  picture  of  Lord  Byron,  and  the  foregoing  is 
the  concise  statement  of  her  impressions^  which  she 
usually  gives.  Fully  impressed  with  the  character,  she 
might  have  dictated  pages,  but  she  aims  to  be  concise 
and  judicial,  and  I  do  not  wish  to  impose  on  her  the 
fatigue  of  a  longer  description. 

At  the  beginning  of  her  description  I  caught  a  suffi- 
ciently vivid  impression  to  have  given  some  of  the  sali- 
ent points  of  the  character,  in  which  I  felt  the  strength 
of  the  upper  occipital  region  which  gives  intensity  to 
the  mental  action.  The  brain  of  Byron  was  not  large. 
It  was  lacking  in  superior  breadth  posteriorly,  and  this 
was  the  deficiency  that  deprived  him  of  proper  self-con- 
trol and  harmony  of  nature. 


Law  and  Business.  33 


PSYCHOMETRY    IN    LAW    AND    BUSINESS. 

Law  has  two  purposes  —  the  punishment  of.  guilt  and 
the  adjustment  of  contention,  in  both  of  which  its  ma- 
chinery is  inadequate,  and  in  both  of  which  psychome- 
try  is  entirely  competent. 

Law  is  incompetent  because  of  its  inability,  in  many 
cases,  to  reach  the  truth,  to  discover  guilt  by  circum- 
stantial evidence,  or  to  ascertain  what  is  just  from  con- 
flicting or  defective  testimony.  It  is  lame  and  inadequate, 
also,  from  the  prejudices  of  judges  and  the  wrong- 
headed  ignorance  of  jurors.  Every  experienced  lawyer 
can  narrate  by  the  hour  illustrations  of  these  lamentable 
conditions. 

Psychometry  has  none  of  these  wretched  deficiencies. 
The  competent  psychometer  has  no  difficulty  in  deter- 
mining guilt  or  innocence  without  a  word  of  testimony, 
and  no  difficulty  in  reaching  the  decision  of  equity  and 
justice  in  cases  in  which  law,  with  ample  testimony,  is 
still  fallible  in  the  administration  of  the  best  officers. 
The  decisions  of  perfect  psychometry  are  an  expression 
of  the  Divine  mind,  through  man,  and  approximate  the 
justice  of  heaven. 

This  being  the  case,  human  intelligence  must  advance 
to  its  recognition,  and  there  must  be,  in  the  progress  of 
enlightenment,  psychometric  commissions  in  each  court 
of  justice  for  the  ascertainment  of  truth,  to  which  the 
decisions  of  petit  juries  have  not  been  competent.  As 
we  employ  coroners'  inquests  in  cases  of  death,  and  as  in 
some  States  medical  commissions  are  employed,  and  as 
cases  are  handed  over  to  referees,  the  same  principle  of 
employing  competent  investigation  will  lead  us  to  em- 


34  Psychometry  in 

ploy  those  for  the  ascertainment  of  truth  who  are  most 
competent,  as  we  now  employ  experienced  accountants 
to  determine  on  a  man's  conduct  of  his  business. 

A  psychometric  committee  of  two  or  three  competent 
psychometers  should  be  employed  to  report  upon  the 
facts  in  all  cases  of  accusation  of  crime,  and  in  all  cases 
of  contention  as  to  rights  which  are  not  mere  matters 
6f  law  or  calculation,  and  especially  in  all  cases  of  do- 
mestic infelicity  and  application  for  divorce. 

We  need  not,  however,  wait  for  the  tardy  action  of 
courts  and  legislatures.  When  the  entire  community 
shall  have  learned  that  the  shortest  and  cheapest  road 
to  justice,  the  least  fallible  and  most  accurate,  is  arbi- 
tration by  competent  psychometers,  they  who  love  peace 
and  justice  will  resort  to  PSYCHOMETRIC  ARBITRATION  — 
saving  the  vast  expense  of  lawyers  and  courts,  the  loss 
of  time,  the  jealousy  and  hostility  produced  by  a  long 
struggle,  and  the  uncertainty  of  the  result.  Law  will 
be  left  as  the  costly  resort  of  men  of  evil  passions, 
stubborn  tempers,  and  dishonest,  grasping  natures,  who 
hope  by  litigation  to  get  something  more  than  simple 
justice;  and  the  very  fact  of  a  resort  to  law  would  be 
prima  facie  evidence  of  wrong. 

The  friends  of  psychometry  should  in  due  time  organ- 
ize in  every  city  psychometric  tribunals  of  arbitration, 
which,  by  their  pre-eminent  justice  and  promptness, 
should  satisfy  and  attract  the  business  community,  and 
teach  society  that  law  is  necessary  only  for  the  punish- 
ment of  criminals,  and  only  reliable  in  that  when  aided 
by  psychometry. 

The  speedy  access  to  perfect  justice  thus  established 
would  enforce  in  all  the  channels  of  business,  habits, 


Law  and  Business.  3  5 

and  sentiments  of  rectitude  now  unknown.  Dishonest 
transactions  would  become  rare,  rogues  would  be  known 
and  kept  in  their  places.  Defalcations  and  embezzle- 
ments would  cease,  for  every  trusted  financial  agent 
would  know  that  he  was  under  a  sleepless  inspection, 
and  that  not  even  an  overt  act  would  be  necessary  to 
insure  his  dismissal,  for  the  selfishness  and  cunning  in 
which  crimes  are  engendered  would  be  recognized  before 
they  had  shown  themselves  in  overt  acts. 

Lawlessness  arises  from  impunity,  and  when  impunity 
is  destroyed  by  vigilance,  the  lawless  impulses  are  re- 
strained by  caution  and  cease  to  struggle  against  the 
moral  nature. 

That  psychometry  must  ultimately  become  the  arbiter 
to  settle  all  contests  between  men  seems  clear  to  the 
eye  of  reason  —  providing  that  the  world  shall  ever  be 
governed  by  its  best  intellect. 

The  true  method  of  settling  all  contests  is  PSYCHOME- 
TRIC ARBITRATION  ;  but  before  that  arrives  there  is  no 
good  reason  why  psychometry  should  not  come  into  our 
courts  of  justice,  point  out  the  guilt  or  innocence  of 
prisoners,  to  assist  the  jury,  determine  the  credibility  of 
witnesses,  the  bona  fide,  or  selfish  and  malicious  charac- 
ter, of  acts,  the  genuineness  of  documents,  and  the 
reliability  of  trustees,  guardians,  commissioners,  etc. 

This  is  so  obvious,  that  a  talented  member  of  the 
New  York  bar,  as  soon  as  he  was  convinced  of  the 
truth  of  psychometry,  wrote  an  essay  for  the  'Albany 
Law  Journal  (February  5,  1881),  advocating  the  intro- 
duction of  psychometry  in  courts  as  competent  evidence 
in  reference  to  guilt  or  innocence.  The  following  quota- 
tion shows  his  view  of  this  matter:  — 


36  Psychometry  in 

"  I  refer  to  the  employment  of  experts  as  witnesses 
about  the  genuineness  of  signatures,  or  other  writings. 
Chirography  is  recognized  by  the  court  as  entitled  to 
experts.  On  what  authority  does  this  rule  rest  ?  No 
one  will  pretend  it  is  legislation.  Then  we  must  get  it 
from  elementary  writers  and  judicial  rulings.  What  is 
the  aim  of  all  authors  and  jurists  in  establishing  such 
rules  and  rulings  ?  Certainty,  of  course.  What  aids 
do  they  invoke  ?  Principally  those  of  science.  Is  one 
science  entitled  to  more  consideration  than  another? 
Certainly  not.  Is  there,  then,  a  science  that  can  make 
the  conviction  of  a  criminal  guilty  of  perjury,  and  the 
acquittal  of  those  wrongfully  suspected,  always  a  cer- 
tainty ?  There  certainly  is.  Its  name  is  PSYCHOMETRY. 
Its  method,  the  discovery  of  a  knowledge  of  his  own 
guilt  or  innocence  in  the  prisoner's  mind. 

"Psychometry  is  a  science  from  which  no  mortal 
man  can  conceal  his  real  thoughts.  If  he  will  dare  to 
write  what  he  pretends  are  his  convictions  upon  paper, 
the  moment  he  thus  commits  himself,  the  psychometric 
expert  can  tell  with  an  infallible  certainty  whether  what 
he  said  was  true  or  false."  "  Psychometric  experts  ex- 
press no  opinions,  but  deal  in  facts,  and  facts  about 
which  they  all  always  agree.  If,  then,  they  can  furnish 
positive  evidence  that  can  defy  doubt  and  disproof,  must 
it  not  be  a  higher  order  of  evidence  than  conflicting 
opinions  unsusceptible  of  conviction  of  perjury  ?  What, 
then,  is  to  be  the  first  step  taken.  It  is  the  recognition 
by  the  courts  of  psychometry  as  a  science.  It  asks  only 
a  test  of  its  integrity,  and  its  friends  are  aware  that  it 
will  have  to  encounter  the  open  and  bitter  enmity  of 
every  hypocrite  in  the  world." 


Law  and  Business.  37 

As  the  claim  has  thus  been  presented  of  psychome- 
tric infallibility  in  questions  of  guilt  or  innocence  (which 
I  could  not  affirm  except  of  the  best  psychometric  talent 
cautiously  employed),  it  is  proper  that  I  should  explain 
to  the  legal  profession  that  although  Psychometry  has 
not  yet  been  introduced  as  legal  evidence,  it  may  be  of 
great  value  to  the  prosecuting  attorney  to  determine  in 
his  own  mind  the  question  of  guilt  or  innocence.  A 
little  experience  with  a  good  psychometer  will  enable 
him  to  determine  how  much  reliance  should  be  placed 
on  his  psychometric  opinions.  I  have  been  accustomed 
for  some  years  when  accused  criminals  were  before  the 
public  with  different  opinions  upon  their  guilt  to  deter- 
mine the  matter  for  my  own  satisfaction  by  Mrs.  Buchan- 
an's psychometric  power.  Yet  I  have  never  indulged  in 
the  sensationalism  of  publishing  such  opinions.  When 
a  prisoner  was  arrested  in  London  as  a  dynamite  con- 
spirator (Cunningham)  I  obtained  from  her  a  correct 
description  of  the  person,  and  an  affirmation  of  his  guilt, 
which  has  since  been  sustained  by  his  conviction  and 
sentence  to  imprisonment  for  life. 

A  conscientious  lawyer  must  often  be  deeply  inter- 
ested in  the  question  of  guilt  or  innocence  as  to  clients 
and  witnesses  which  psychometry  could  decide.  And 
not  only  lawyers,  but  many  business  men  have  fre- 
quently great  need  to  know  the  true  character  of  men 
with  whom  they  are  doing  business,  whom  they  have 
had  little  opportunity  of  knowing.  Aided  by  psychom- 
etry one  may  carry  on  business  all  over  the  country 
with  as  great  security  as  in  his  own  city.  Mrs.  B.  has 
been  accustomed  to  pronounce  on  the  capacity,  character, 
and  reliability  of  men  placed  in  responsible  situations. 


38  Psychometry  in 

In  questions  of  authenticity  and  forgery,  a  psychome- 
tric expert  who  has  proved  his  ability  to  detect  a  forgery 
would,  I  presume,  be  as  competent  a  witness  in  court  as 
one  whose  power  was  derived  only  from  the  study  of 
the  visible  appearance  of  the  writing. 

A  psychometric  expert  who  could  take  up  an  honest 
production  and  describe  its  writer  satisfactorily,  and  then 
take  up  a  forgery  and  describe  the  rogue  with  equal  cor- 
rectness, would  thereby  establish  evidence  which  coun- 
sel might  introduce  with  great  effect  into  an  argument 
as  he  would  argue  upon  any  scientific  or  expert  testi- 
mony. 

In  a  murder  trial  at  Cincinnati  I  was  called  in  as  an 
expert  witness  by  our  late  President,  R.  B.  Hayes,  in 
reference  to  the  responsibility  of  the  culprit.  In  all 
such  cases  the  expert  who  is  enlightened  may  be  guided 
in  his  opinionsl)y  psychometric  investigation.  The  law 
recognizes  his  testimony  because  he  is  considered  an 
expert,  and  a  knowledge  of  psychometry  is  a  part  of 
his  expert  qualifications. 

In  all  executive  or  administrative  offices  where  appoint- 
ments are  made,  psychometry  should  lend  its  aid  to  con- 
trol, to  correct,  and  to  accelerate  the  performance  of 
such  duties.  From  the  village  magistrate  to  the  Presi- 
dent, and  to  the  chambers  of  royalty,  psychometry 
should  be  the  ever-present  monitor. 

A  very  useful  application  of  psychometry  may  be  made 
in  the  detection  of  any  species  of  counterfeits.  Not 
only  counterfeit  checks  and  forged  wills,  but  all  current 
moneys  are  subject  to  psychometric  detection,  and  they 
are  the  successful  detectors  who  have  the  psychometric 
faculty.  Some  few  years  ago  a  counterfeit  coin  was 


Law  and  Business.  39 

put  in  circulation  which  almost  defied  detection.  It 
seemed  perfect  in  color,  weight  and  size,  and  under  the 
tests  of  acid  and  the  file.  But  when  it  was  cut  open 
the  interior  proved  to  be  of  base  metal. 

The  only  method  by  which  such  a  counterfeit  could 
be  detected  was  an  electric  test,  by  passing  electric  cur- 
rents through  the  genuine  and  the  suspected  coin  to  see 
if  their  conductivities  were  exactly  equal. 

This  is  one  of  the  cases  in  which  the  psychometric 
perception  would  penetrate  all  deception  with  a  greater 
delicacy  than  any  other  agency. 

In  the  detection  of  counterfeit  notes  the  psychome- 
tric power  will  succeed  when  all  other  perception  fails. 
This  is  already  verified  at  Washington.  A  dispatch 
from  Washington,  dated  February  28,  says  of  the 
women  in  the  Treasury  Department :  "  So  superior  is 
their  skill  in  handling  paper  money  that  they  accomplish 
results  that  would  be  utterly  unattainable  without  them. 
It  has  been  found  by  long  experience  that  a  counterfeit 
may  go  through  half  the  banks  in  the  country  without 
being  detected,  until  it  comes  back,  often  torn  and  mu- 
tilated, into  the  hands  of  the  Treasury  women.  Then 
it  is  certain  of  detection.  They  shut  their  eyes  and  feel 
of  a  note  if  they  suspect  it.  If  it  feels  wrong,  in  half  a 
minute  they  point  out  the  incongruities  of  the  counter- 
feit." 


CHAPTER  VI. 

PSYCHOMETRY   IN   MEDICAL    SCIENCE. 


The  medical  profession  ever  incompetent  to  judge  of  important  discov- 
eries—  Psychic  discoveries  have  no  tribunal  —  The  medical  profession 
hostile —  Offer  to  the  Kentucky  State  Medical  Society  and  its  failure 

—  Correspondence  with  Prof.   Gross  —  The   discussion  on  homoeopa- 
thy —  Proof  that  medicines  act  without  absorption  and  without  con- 
sumption of  matter  — Experiments  on  medicine  in  paper  and  in  vials 

—  Objection  to  infinitesimals  refuted  —  Effects  from  minute  agencies 
— Influence  of  handwriting,  and  of  contact  of  writing  —  Emanation 
of    influence  —  Explanation    of    triturations  —  Sensibility  of  morbid 
parts — Influence  of  contact  in  mineral  waters  —  Influence  of  locali- 
ties by  emanation  —  Influence  increased  by  electric  currents  —  Doc- 
trine of  Sir  James  Murray  —  Medical  influences  carried  by  electric 
currents  —  Interesting  experiments  reported  by  Mr.  Howard  showing 
electric  transference  of  disease  —  My  own  experiments  on  a  narcotic 

—  Contact  influence  through  the  atmosphere — Sensitives  affected  by 
proximity -7- Influence  on  national  character — Vast  range  of  influ- 
ences around  us  —  Psychic  influences  and  the  localities  that  favor 
them —  Influence  of  soils,  saline  evaporation  from  ocean  —  Contagion 

—  Psychometry  explains  it  as  dependent  on  the  nervous  system,  vary- 
ing with  its  development  —  Not  entirely  dependent  on  physical  causes 

—  The  Black  Death  —  Contagion  from  touch  —  From  the  glance  of 
the  eye  —  Its  recognition  by  the  ancients  —  Hygienic  precautions  — 
Psychometry  the  absolute  guide  of  diagnosis  and  therapeutics,  and 
therefore  the  consummation  of  medical  science  —  All  accurate  diag- 
nosis in  obscure  conditions  is  psychometric  —  Psychometry  indicates 
the  relation  of  a  remedy  better  than  Homosopathy —  Failure  of  physi- 
cians who  lack  in  psychometric  capacity  —  Psychometric  success  of 
Dr.  Swan  —  My  own  experience  satisfactory. 

Upon  any  subject  relating  to  biological  science  the 
superficial  or  ill-informed  are  disposed  to  refer  to  the 
authority  of  the  medical  profession,  because  they  do 


PsycJwmetry  in  Medical  Science.  41 

not  know  that  physicians  have  but  little  independence 
of  thought,  and  that  the  control  of  the  profession  by  its 
colleges  and  societies  has  insured  the  maximum  degree 
of  conservative  stolidity,  as  was  virtually  confessed  by 
Prof.  Gross  when  he  advised  that  my  demonstrable  dis- 
coveries be  submitted  to  some  society  not  belonging  to 
the  medical  prof  ession,  rather  than  to  the  National  Med- 
ical Association. 

When  we  look  at  the  landmarks  of  this  stolidity,  we 
see  that  the  most  rational  and  obvious  suggestions  of 
progressive  science  have  been  received  with  scorn  and 
derision.  The  use  of  antimony  was  prohibited  about 
three  centuries  ago.  Peruvian  Bark  was  opposed  with 
fury  because  it  was  not  introduced  through  colleges ; 
all  chemical  remedies  were  once  prohibited  by  the  fac- 
ulty of  Paris.  Jenner  was  once  ridiculed  and  excluded 
from  the  college  of  Physicians,  and  to-day  the  same 
authority  enforces  J  nner's  vaccination  on  a  reluctant 
people  by  fine  and  imprisonment.  The  discovery  of 
valves  in  the  veins  was  denied  and  ridiculed  as  shame- 
fully as  Harvey's  discovery  of  the  circulation.  Even 
so  simple  a  matter  as  the  use  of  the  stethoscope,  intro- 
duced by  Laennec,  which  cafi  hardly  claim  the  dignity 
of  an  invention  or  discovery,  was  received  with  the 
same  supercilious  stupidity/ 

It  is  not  because  physicians  differ  from  the  rest  of 
mankind,  for  we  can  find  the  same  record  of  stolidity 
in  every  department  of  human  knowledge  and  business 
where  individuals  are  hindered  by  colleges,  corporations 
or  societies,  and  often  where  they  are  not,  for  there  is 
no  system  of  education  established  anywhere  that  will 
make  its  pupils  faithful  and  efficient  seekers  of  truth, 


42  Psychometry  in 

and  until  we  have  such  a  system  the  world  must  crawl 
along  slowly. 

The  publication  in  the  Journal  of  Man  in  1849  °f  my 
sketches  of  the  development  of  psychometry,  did  not 
attract  much  attention  from  literati  and  scientists. 
They  reached  only  the  few  advanced  minds  that  feel  a 
sympathy  with  discovery  and  progress  —  the  only  com- 
petent class. 

There  was  no  public  tribunal  of  competent  investiga- 
ting scientists,  to  whom  an  appeal  could  be  made.  The 
common  law  right  of  trial  by  a  jury  of  our  peers  is  a 
right  of  which  the  psychological  scientist  is  deprived. 
He  has  no  peers,  no  companions,  no  fitting  audience 
among  the  leaders  of  society.  There  has  been  no  ex- 
tensive, proper,  and  systematic  cultivation  of  psychic 
sciences  by  the  experimental  methods  which  trace 
effects  to  causes. 

All  tolerated  and  patronized  science  to-day  is  physical 
and  the  great  body  of  the  medical  profession  which  is 
the  most  influential  scientific  body,  is  not  only  physical 
or  materialistic  in  its  science  and  philosophy,  but  is  so 
intensely  dogmatic  and  so  fiercely  intolerant  in  its  ma- 
terialism that  the  facts  set  forth  in  my  experiments 
instead  of  receiving  respectful  consideration  in  medical 
colleges  and  medical  journals  if  offered  for  their  notice 
would  seldom  receive  any  other  response,  if  noticed  at 
all,  than  the  cynical  sneer  which  reveals  the  low  moral 
status  of  the  scoffer. 

The  facts  in  reference  to  experiments  on  medicines, 
are  so  simple  and  so  easily  demonstrated  even  to  the 
most  obtuse  intellect  that  I  departed  from  my  usual 
policy  in  1877,  and  requested  the  appointment  of  an  in- 


Medical  Science.  43 

vestigating  committee  by  the  Kentucky  State  Medical 
Society  for  the  purpose  of  examining  my  discoveries  in 
relation  to  the  action  of  medicines.  As  this  was  in  my 
native  state,  in  which  I  had  some  reputation  in  politics 
as  well  as  in  authorship,  having  received  a  nomination 
by  my  friends  for  the  gubernatorial  office  (which  I 
declined)  and  as  I  was  well  known  by  the  leading  mem- 
bers of  the  society,  my  request  was  more  courteously 
received  than  it  would  have  been  elsewhere,  and  a  com- 
mittee was  appointed  of  eminent  medical  professors, 
who  might  easily  on  the  first  day  of  their  appointment 
have  performed  their  duty  and  ascertained  beyond  a 
doubt  the  truth  of  a  discovery  which  revolutionizes 
medical  theories.  One  of  these  gentlemen  I  think  it 
proper  to  mention,  was  my  quondam  friend  DR.  THEO- 
DORE BELL,  the  learned  and  dogmatic  professor  of  med- 
ical practice  in  the  flourishing  Louisville  school. 

Near  the  end  of  the  year  1877  the  committee  had 
done  nothing  whatever  in  performance  of  their  duty, 
and  I  left  the  state  for  New  York  more  fully  satisfied 
than  ever  that  it  was  utterly  useless  to  lay  any  psychic 
facts  before  the  dogmatic  profession,  or  to  invite  them 
to  investigate  anything  beyond  their  narrow  routine  of 
thought  and  action.* 


*  Knowing  the  orthodox  medical  journal  to  be  absolutely  controlled 
by  the  bigoted  policy  of  the  National  Medical  Association,  I  did  not  dis- 
play the  verdant  ignorance  of  attempting  to  reach  the  profession  through 
their  pages.  But  when  the  National  Scientific  Association  met  in  Cincin- 
nati in  1850  I  supposed  it  possible  to  obtain  a  hearing  in  that  body,  and 
accordingly  offered  a  paper  on  CEREBRAL  EMBRYOLOGY.  But  the  same 
Jesuitical  influence  from  rival  medical  colleges  was  present  and  positive- 
ly procured  the  suppression  of  my  paper.  The  two  actors  in  this 
manoeuvre  are  now  in  a  world  in  which  they  are  made  conscious  of  their 
errors. 


44  Psychometry  in 

Nevertheless  I  felt  that  intelligent  and  liberal  minds 
unacquainted  with  the  dogmatism  of  medical  colleges 
would  find  it  difficult  to  believe  that  scientific  discov- 
eries of  such  importance  were  absolutely  barred  out  of 
the  fashionable  medical  colleges  by  the  imperious 
dogmatism  of  the  Faculty,  and  would  therefore  suspect 
that  as  many  discoveries  were  not  recognized  and  hon- 
ored like  those  of  Claude  Bernard  and  Brown  Sequard 
they  might  be  lacking  in  scientific  value. 

Hence,  I  thought  it  desirable  to  have  on  record  an 
explicit  refusal,  which  would  show  it  was  not  due  either 
to  sciolism  in  my  experiments  or  to  any  avoidance  of 
scientific  investigation,  that  I  had  not  enjoyed  the 
recognition  which  is  so  freely  given  to  those  who  like 
Bernard  and  Majendie  do  not  transcend  the  bounds  of 
the  coarsest  physical  science. 

Hence,  when  the  National  Medical  Association  met 
in  New  York,  knowing  that  it  would  be  useless  to 
make  any  application  to  that  body,  I  addressed  its 
leading  representative  with  whom  I  had  an  old  acquaint- 
anceship, Prof.  Samuel  D.  Gross,  the  most  eminent  sur- 
geon and  presiding  officer  of  the  national  societies,  and 
received  from  him  in  very  courteous  terms  the  explicit 
information  that  my  discovereis  could  not  possibly  be 
brought  under  the  notice  of  the  National  Medical 
Association  or  subjected  to  their  investigation,  because 
I  was  not  a  member  of  the  dominant  medical  party 
which  is  governed  by  a  proscriptive  code. 

The  reader  will,  therefore,  see  that  I  have  ever  sought 
scientific  investigation  and  criticism  and  that  I  stand 
unimpeached  and  uncontradicted  as  the  discoverer  and 
teacher  of  principles  which  I  have  been  teaching  and 


Medical  Science.  45 

demonstrating  so  many  years  to  medical  pupils,  and 
which  are  now  acted  upon  by  many  physicians  with 
signal  benefits  and  vast  superiority  in  DIAGNOSIS  which 
is  the  basis  of  successful  practice. 

Marvellous  facts  which  differ  from  the  ordinary  course 
of  events  are  like  the  upheaved  rocks  which  reveal 
deeply  hidden  strata.  Stolid  conservatism  dislikes  and 
avoids  such  facts  because  they  reveal  new  principles 
and  disturb  old  theories.  In  medical  literature  such 
fac#s  are  generally  suppressed  ;  in  medical  societies  they 
are  met  in  a  spirit  of  hostility  and  defiance.  The  facts 
which  reveal  the  higher  capacities  of  the  nervous  system 
have  been  carefully  concealed  from  the  present  genera- 
tion of  physicians. 

But  notwithstanding  this  skeptical  vigilance,  one  of 
the  class  of  facts  to  which  I  endeavored  in  vain  to  call 
the  attention  of  the  old  medical  professors  has  somehow 
found  its  way  into  the  United  States  Dispensatory 
(page  399,  I4th  edition),  as  follows : 

"  It  is  said  that  in  Germany  persons  sleeping  upon 
grain  containing  much  ergot  have  been  attacked  with 
disease  in  consequence ;  and  the  case  is  related  of  a 
gentleman  who,  having  gathered  some  fine  specimens  of 
ergot  fresh  from  the  plant  and  put  them  in  his  trousers 
pocket,  found  himself  about  half  a  day  afterward  incom- 
moded by  a  terrible  spasmodic  pain  on  the  skin  on  the 
inside  of  the  thigh,  against  which  the  pocket  lay. 
Ascribing  this  to  a  long  walk,  he  did  not  think  of  the 
real  cause,  until,  the  pain  having  returned  on  the  follow- 
ing day,  and  for  several  days  afterwards,  he  at  length 
called  to  mind  the  forgotten  ergot,  and  supposing  that 
this  might  be  the  cause  of  the  inconvenience,  removed 


46  Psychometry  in 

it.  After  a  time  he  found  much,  though  not  entire 
relief,  and  did  not  succeed  in  wholly  removing  his  trouble 
until  he  had  caused  the  offending  pocket  to  be  washed, 
after  which  the  affection  ceased.  He  afterward  tried 
the  experiment  with  other  specimens  of  ergot  with  the 
same  results.  Perhaps  it  is  only  the  fresh  ergot,  yet 
moist,  that  is  capable  of  producing  this  effect.  The 
skin  was  not  reddened  but  covered  with  minute  wrinkles 
as  in  cholera  patients." 

The  scientific  presentation  and  explanation  of  such 
facts  would  not  be  tolerated  by  the  National  Medical 
Association  (according  to  Prof.  Gross)  if  presented  by 
any  one  not  in  sympathy  with  their  proscriptive  code, 
yet  such  facts  cannot  always  be  concealed,  and  we  may 
expect  them  to  be  presented  to  the  Association  by  some 
of  its  members  hereafter  as  an  important  discovery, 
carefully  concealing  its  origin. 

Returning  to  the  simple  medical  experiments  in  which 
medicines  held  in  the  hands  produce  all  their  constitu- 
tional effects  —  what  is  its  bearing  upon  medical  philos- 
ophy and  the  controversies  now  in  progress  ? 

The  leading  controversy  —  the  most  important  which 
ever  agitated  the  colleges,  is  that  between  the  followers 
of  Hahnemann  and  those  who  dogmatically  reject  not 
only  his  principles  but  all  the  vast  accumulated  experi- 
ence of  many  thousand  well-educated  and  reputable 
physicians.  Their  rejection  is  justified  only  by  the 
dogmatic  materialism  which  my  experiments  have  over- 
thrown. 

Learned  professors  satisfy  themselves  and  amuse  the 
ignorance  of  their  pupils  by  proving  that  the  extreme 
attenuations  or  high  potencies  of  infinitesimal  medicines 


Medical  Science.  47 

0 

cannot  possibly  have  an  appreciable  quantity  of  the 
medicinal  substance  in  the  largest  dose. 

That  the  effect  produced  must  be  in  proportion  to 
the  quantity  of  medicine  employed,  and  that  the  effects 
must  arise  from  internal  contact  —  from  touching  sen- 
tient surfaces  in  the  alimentary  canal,  or  circulating  in 
the  blood,  has  been  assumed  as  a  self-evident  axiomatic 
truth  upon  which  the  whole  fabric  of  their  medical 
practice  rests  :  and  thus  it  rests  upon  a  falsehood,  for  I 
have  proved  that  medicine  may  operate  from  the  exterior 
without  absorption,  without  entering  the  circulation 
and  without  the  slightest  contact  with  the  person. 

Moreover,  the  notion  that  a  certain  amount  of  medi- 
cine must  be  consumed  to  produce  an  effect,  is  simply 
a  piece  of  vulgar  ignorance,  embalmed  in  collegiate  dog- 
matism. No  consumption  of  medicine  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  produce  medical  effects.  On  the  contrary 
the  medicines  wrapped  in  papers  remain  after  the 
experiment,  as  if  they  had  not  been  used.  But  (the 
ultra  materialist  might  say)  those  medicines  in  papers 
have  emanations,  and  their  odors  may  have  produced 
the  effects  by  passing  through  the  paper.  This  is  con- 
ceding that  imperceptible  emanations  have  power,  but 
such  a  subterfuge  is  not  available,  as  solid  saline,  me- 
tallic, and  crystalline  substances,  which  have  no  odor 
or  perceptible  emanation  are  effective  when  held  in 
papers. 

To  remove  all  possible  doubt  that  medical  potency  is 
an  imponderable  quality,  and  operates  at  a  distance 
from  the  substance,  I  have  adopted  the  custom  of  plac- 
ing the  medicines  in  glass  vials  well  corked  —  the  vials 


48  Psychometry  in 

being  held  in  the    hands    for    experiments,  and    their 
contents  unknown  to  the  subject. 

In  this  method  the  experiments  are  as  successful  as 
with  the  paper  envelope,  and  my  experience  leads  to 
the  conclusion  that  more  than  one-half  of  a  miscellane- 
ous company  will  feel  the  effects,  and  often  three- 
fourths.  In  a  medical  class  of  twenty  at  Boston  there 
were  but  two  who  were  not  impressible  by  this  experi- 
ment, and  from  my  observation  in  the  South  I  should 
say  that  eighty  or  ninety  per  cent,  of  the  population  in 
the  Gulf  States  would  feel  these  medical  influences 
through  glass  with  facility. 

What,  then,  becomes  of  the  materialistic  theories  ? 
The  same  vial  of  medicine  may  be  used  successfully  for 
the  medication  of  a  thousand  or  of  ten  thousand 
patients,  and  if  well  sealed  it  will  have  lost  no  portion 
of  the  medical  substance,  so  far  as  we  can  discover. 
The  materialistic  thinker  claims  that  the  homoeopathic 
attenuation  can  have  no  effect,  because  the  amount  of 
substance  present  is  so  extremely  small,  but  in  my 
experiment  the  patient  receives  no  substance  at  all. 
The  effects  are  due  to  what  the  materialist  considers  a 
nonenity.  The  dogmatic  objection  to  homoeopathic 
doses  disappears  entirely  when  we  know  that  the 
potency  of  medicines  may  be  realized  without  swallow- 
ing, inhaling,  or  touching  a  single  particle. 

The  objection,  however,  still  remains  that  the  quantity 
of  medicine  in  the  vial  that  was  touched  was  sufficient 
to  produce  important  effects,  although  its  potency  was 
transferred  through  glass,  but  that  homoeopathic  dilu- 
tions, attenuations,  or  globules,  are  too  insignificant  in 
quantity  to  produce  any  considerable  effect,  for  effects 


Medical  Science.  49 

must  be  proportioned  to  causes,  and  it  is  reasonable  to 
believe  that  if  a  grain  will  produce  a  given  effect,  a 
thousandth  part  of  the  grain  will  produce  only  the  thou- 
sandth part  of  the  effect.  How,  then,  can  diseases  be 
successfully  treated  by  millionths  and  decillionths  of  a 
grain  ? 

There  are  several  answers  to  this  plausible  statement. 
If  the  agent  employed  merely  starts  a  new  process,  a 
portion  of  a  grain  may  be  as  effective  as  the  whole  of  it. 
A  smallpox  scab,  for  example,  may  develop  smallpox  in 
one  who  handles  or  tastes  it,  but  smallpox  may  also  be 
developed  by  handling  a  bank  note  or  letter  received 
from  the  patient.  The  visible  substance  produces  no 
more  effect  than  the  invisible  contamination  on  the 
paper. 

There  is  no  limit  to  the  minuteness  of  the  dose  which 
may  affect  the  sensitive.  As  contact  with  a  letter  or  a 
lock  of  hair  reproduces  in  the  sensitive,  not  only  the 
traits  of  character,  but  the  pathological  symptoms  of 
the  writer,  it  is  apparent  that  physiological  and  patho- 
logical effects  may  come  from  a  cause  in  which  we  can 
discover  no  vital  or  medical  potentiality  whatever.  The 
smallest  homoepathic  dose  must  have  more  medical 
potentiality  than  the  sheet  of  paper  which  has  been 
merely  discolored  by  pen  or  pencil. 

The  sensitive  recognizes  and  describes  the  potential- 
ity of  infinitesimal  dilutions,  globules,  or  powders. 
Soon  after  the  announcement  of  my  discovery  in  New 
York  one  of  my  pupils,  Dr.  Harris,  an  experienced 
homoeopathic  physician,  placed  a  number  of  globules 
successively  in  the  hands  of  my  sensitive  Mr.  Inman, 
who  described  their  medical  potency  to  his  satisfaction. 


50  Psychometry  in 

We  cannot  devise  any  subtlety  of  influence  which 
may  not  be  followed  and  detected  by  the  exalted  powers 
of  sensitives.  The  potentiality  of  handwriting  as  an 
embodiment  of  psychic  influence  is  difficult  to  conceive  ; 
but  that  potentiality  may  be -imparted  to  a  blank  page 
lying  in  contact  with  the  writing  and  two  letters  or 
pieces  of  manuscript  kept  in  contact  with  each  other 
impart  to  each  other  their  influences.  An  experimental 
society  in  Boston  in  1843,  was  quite  puzzled  by  this 
transference  of  character  to  a  blank  page.  They  were 
experimenting  on  two  letters  and  got  a  satisfactory 
description  of  the  two  characters.  One  was  the  author 
Charles  Dickens,  the  other  I  have  forgotten.  But  they 
were  startled  on  finding  that  the  characters  had  been 
exchanged,  and  that  the  character  of  Dickens  was  given 
to  the  wrong  letter.  The  letters  had  been  in  contact, 
so  that  the  writing  of  each  had  pressed  the  blank  page 
of  the  other  which  was  touched  by  the  psychometer. 

The  transmission  of  psychic  influence  by  contact  of 
manuscript  frequently  receives  accidental  illustrations. 
A  piece  of  manuscript  from  lying  in  contact  with  another 
absorbs  an  influence  which  mingles  with  or  overpowers 
its  own  character.  Thus  Mrs.  B.  was  called  upon  in 
New  York  by  Dr.  F.,  who  gave  her  for  a  report  a  piece 
of  manuscript  from  which  he  expected  something  very 
pleasing,  as  he  considered  it  a  fine  specimen  of  spirit 
writing.  Instead  of  this  she  described  it  as  very  dis- 
agreeable and  irritating ;  exciting  an  impulse  to  be 
angry,  quarrelsome,  and  very  abusive.  This  astonished 
him  and  led  her  to  ask  what  the  writing  had  been  in 
contact  with.  It  then  appeared  that  he  had  placed  it  in 
his  pocket  book  in  contact  with  a  letter  from  one  of  his 


Medical  Science.  51 

tenants,  with  whom  he  had  a  difference,  which  was  of  a 
very  angry,  insolent,  abusive  character,  the  influence 
of  which  entirely  overpowered  the  writing  of  the 
medium. 

A  good  psychometer  will  frequently  discover  hetero- 
geneous influences  in  a  manuscript  from  persons  who 
have  handled  or  carried  it,  and  would  therefore  desire 
that  anything  for  examination  should  be  kept  free  from 
adventitious  influences. 

To  test  the  facility  of  such  transfer,  I  placed  a  piece 
of  blank  letter  paper  for  two  or  three  hours  within  the 
folds  of  a  manuscript  over  forty  years  old,  and  then 
asked  what  impression  she  received  from  it.  She 
quickly  decided  that  it  was  an  impression  from  old  writ- 
ing, and  even  gave  the  name  of  the  writer.  As  there 
was  a  possibility  of  chance  in  guessing  the  name,  I  tried 
another  experiment  by  cutting  out  a  piece  of  blank 
paper  from  a  letter  written  by  the  eloquent  divine,  Rev. 
J.  N.  Maffitt,  which  had  lain  almost  fifty  years  in  con- 
tact with  the  writing.  It  was  a  letter  introducing  myself 
to  President  Dubisson,  dated  Natchez,  Dec.  25,  1835. 
Her  impressions  were  given  as  follows :  "This  is  not  a 
spiritual  writing.  It  takes  me  in  a  westerly  direction  — 
(north  or  south  ? )  — towards  the  south.  It  is  a  positive 
character,  a  man.  It  was  not  written  to  you  but  relates 
to  you.  The  writer  was  older  than  you  when  it  was 
written.  You  were  then  quite  a  young  man.  It  seems 
like  an  introduction  to  some  person  of  influence  rather 
than  a  business  letter  —  to  some  person  holding  a  prom- 
inent intellectual  position.  The  writer  was  a  strong 
intellectual  man,  one  who  could  win  the  esteem  of  the 
majority  —  a  professional  man  but  not  a  physician.  He 


52  Psychometry  in 

was  a  public  character,  stood  very  high  before  the  public. 
I  see  him  speaking.  He  was  an  eloquent  man.  He 
seemed  at  first  like  a  statesman,  now  he  seems  a  divine. 
He  interested  the  people :  he  was  popular :  he  was  very 
eloquent :  he  was  not  profoundly  orthodox."  The  ex- 
periment had  been  interrupted  once,  and  at  this  point 
was  interrupted  a  second  time  by  a  visitor,  and  was  not 
resumed  ;  so  the  portrait  is  incomplete. 

When  the  letter  was  written,  I  was  just  twenty-one 
years  of  age  and  was  engaged  in  the  study  and  diffusion 
of  phrenological  science,  in  which  I  had  interested  Mr. 
Maffitt,  who  was  in  the  zenith  of  his  career  as  the  most 
brilliant  man  of  the  Methodist  pulpit.  As  to  the  con- 
cluding remark  that  he  was  not  strictly  orthodox,  I 
would  say  that  Maffitt,  like  Whitfield,  was  more  gifted 
in  the  line  of  oratory  and  imagination  than  in  the  relig- 
ious sentiments.  Their  heads  were  flat  in  the  religious 
region,  and  their  lives  were  not  according  to  the  rever- 
ential pattern  of  Orthodoxy.* 

There  is  a  perpetual  emanation  of  influences  by  which 
each  substance  affects  its  environment.  The  emanations 
of  influence  from  medicines  pass  through  glass,  or  they 
pass  into  the  paper  which  contains  them,  and  which 
becomes  a  medical  potency  to  a  sensitive. 

A  medicine  triturated  with  sugar,  or  simply  brought 
into  contact  with  it,  imparts  to  the  sugar  all  its  emanat- 
ing influence,  and  thus  we  obtain  in  the  sugar  a  refined 
emanation  combined  with  the  saccharine  qualities  which 
are  pleasant  and  genial.  A  medicated  sugar  or  highly 


*Mr.  Maffitt's  cordial  nsception  of  my  scientific  suggestions  at  that 
time  assures  me  that  if  he  were  living  to-day  he  would  be  a  powerful 
champion  of  scientific  truth. 


Medical  Science.  53 

saccharated  medicine  is  a  great  improvement  upon  crude 
medication,  not  only  on  account  of  the  mollifying  influ- 
ence of  the  sugar,  but  on  account  of  the  superiority  of 
the  emanation  which  combines  with  the  sugar,  to  the 
gross  substance  of  the  drug.  And  as  this  emanation 
power  seems  to  be  practically  unlimited  (since  the 
same  vial  of  medicine  may  act  in  perpetuity)  there  is 
no  reason  why  we  might  not,  from  a  limited  quantity  of 
medicine  by  proper  management,  obtain  an  unlimited 
amount  of  saccharated  potentiality  more  genial  and  ap- 
propriate in  therapeutics  than  the  original  body. 

The  objection,  however,  may  be  made  that  these  em- 
anation saccharates  (or  we  might  call  them  spiritual  sac- 
charates  as  they  do  not  appear  to  be  strictly  material 
emanations)  would  not  affect  all  patients  since  all  man- 
kind are  not  sensitives ;  hence  this  infinitesimal  or 
spiritual  method  must  frequently  fail. 

The  objection  is  very  plausible,  but  disease  in  general 
is  a  state  of  heightened  or  morbid  sensibility.  It  origi- 
nates most  readily  in  a  morbid  susceptibility  —  a  pre- 
dominance of  sensibility  over  the  vital  force.*  Hence 
disease  gives,  at  least  to  the  morbid  organ,  a  very  acute 
and  delicate  sensibility,  which  would  not  tolerate  harsh 
remedies,  or  even  a  slight  touch.  If  then  the  remedy 
has  a  specific  action  on  the  morbid  part  it  ought  cer- 
tainly to  be  delicate  in  its  action,  since  the  exalted 
sensibility  makes  the  organ  unusually  impressible  and 
the  remedy  which  would  scarcely  affect  it  at  all  in 
health,  is  very  potent  in  its  morbid  condition. 


*  Sensibility  is  the  foundation  of  disease,  and  it  is  because  the  sensibil- 
ity and  nervous  development  of  fishes  are  of  so  low  a  grade  that  they  are 
not  liable  to  inflammation. 


54  Psychometry  in 

The  law  of  emanation  which  thus  explains  the  value 
of  infinitesimal  doses  has  many  other  important  applica- 
tions. 

It  is  well  known  that  mineral  waters  coming  through 
strata  of  the  earth  have  important  healing  powers  which 
are  not  accounted  for  by  chemistry,  and  which  are  not 
satisfactorily  realized  in  artificial  combinations  however 
skilfully  made.  Such  is  the  general  opinion  of  physi- 
cians. It  is  probable  that  the  waters  are  affected  by 
the  subterranean  strata  through  which  they  pass,  the 
influence  of  which  is  distinct  as  they  are  taken  from 
the  spring.  But  they  also  have  the  virtue  of  saccharated 
remedies,  as  every  particle  of  the  water  is  impressed  by 
the  influence  of  all  the  mineral  ingredients  (which  have 
been  many  years  in  solution)  like  the  sugar  in  tritura- 
tions,  and  I  believe  that  if  the  mineral  elements  could 
be  instantly  removed  from  the  water  its  virtue  would 
not  be  entirely  lost.  The  agitation  and  motion  of  the 
water  in  the  subterranean  channels  has  the  same  effect 
as  the  percussions  by  which  tinctures  are  potentized  in 
homoeopathic  pharmacy.  A  practical  inference  would  be 
that  in  preparing  aqueous  or  alcoholic  solutions  of  med- 
icines we  should  not  only  use  agitation  but  allow  them 
to  stand  as  long  as  possible  to  permeate  the  inert  ele- 
ments with  the  medicines,  thus  rendering  their  effects 
milder  and  enabling  us  to  succeed  with  a  smaller  quan- 
tity. 

All  things  have  their  sphere  of  emanation  and  every 
locality  on  the  face  of  the  globe  whether  it  offers  gran- 
ite, limestone,  clay,  sand,  or  humus,  or  is  covered  by 
fresh  or  salt  water,  pure  or  impure,  or  any  species  of 
vegetation,  affects  the  constitution  of  the  residents  or 


Medical  Science.  55 

travellers  differently  from  other  localities.  Hence  med- 
ical men  blindly  recommend  a  "  change  of  air  "  knowing 
that  there  are  important  effects  produced  by  change  of 
locality  which  they  do  not  comprehend.  The  asthmatic 
and  the  victims  of  hay  fever  find  by  experience  the 
locality  that  suits  them  best  as  every  locality  has  its 
own  pathological  tendency  and  its  own  peculiar  influ- 
ence over  body  and  mind.  Arenacious  formations  are 
exempt  from  cholera,  and  when  the  principles  which  I 
have  enunciated  are  made  the  basis  of  scientific  investi- 
gations the  exact  influence  of  all  mineral  elements  on 
the  constitution  of  man  will  be  determined,  and  locali- 
ties will  be  selected  and  prescribed  for  patients  with  as 
much  precision  as  medicines,  and  the  physicians  of  each 
locality  will  understand  the  pathological  tendencies  of 
their  residence  and '  the  modification  of  treatment  re- 
quired. 

The  power  of  each  locality  is  greatly  intensified  by 
electric  currents,  which,  passing  upward,  bring  the  con- 
stitution under  the  influence  of  the  subjacent  strata. 
Sir  James  Murray  of  England,  about  half  a  century  ago, 
asserted  very  forcibly  the  importance  of  this  electric 
influence  as  a  source  of  disease,  and  claimed  to  have 
rendered  unhealthy  localities  safer  for  residence  by  insu- 
lating thoroughly  the  houses  inhabited.  The  noncon- 
ducting or  insulating  materials  used  in  their  foundations 
he  considered  a  very  important  protection  against  dis- 
ease ;  and  I  believe  there  is  more  in  this  than  the  mere 
protection  against  dampness. 

Sensitive  persons,  in  walking,  will  find  very  decided 
influences  in  different  localities.  In  approaching  cer- 
tain spots  permanently  damp,  they  will  feel  the  rheu- 


56  PsycJiomctry  in 

matic  or  neuralgic  influence  of  negative  conditions,  and 
will  find  in  drier  localities,  where  there  is  less  conduct- 
ivity, less  evaporation,  and  a  less  negative  state,  a  more 
comfortable  condition. 

The  doctrine  that  we  are  affected  by  electric  currents 
and  thereby  made  to  feel  the  influence  of  our  environ- 
ment, and  especially  of  the  portion  of  the  earth  on  which 
we  stand,  is  susceptible  of  demonstration.  Practition- 
ers of  electricity  have  often  maintained  that  patients 
could  feel  the  influence  of  medicines  through  which 
they  received  electric  currents,  but  the  medical  pro- 
fession has  been  disposed  to  ignore  such  facts  because 
not  readily  demonstrable  with  persons  of  moderate  sen- 
sibility ;  and  the  experimental  facts  which  illustrate 
transmission  by  electricity  have  seldom  been  reported, 
partly  because  of  the  prejudice  of  observers,  and  partly 
because  the  great  majority  are  not  accustomed  to  report 
their  experience  for  publication. 

An  interesting  case,  however,  was  reported  by  Mr.  L. 
Howard,  F.  R.  S.,  as  occurring  in  the  experience  of 
Philip  Smith,  of  Fordham,  in  curing  agues  by  electricity, 
who  found  that  the  disease  was  carried  from  the  patient 
to  himself  by  the  electric  current.  In  order  to  test  the 
matter  more  decisively,  he  made  an  experiment  to  see 
if  the  inflammation  produced  by  vaccination  could  be 
transferred  as  well  as  intermittent  fever.  He  placed  one 
of  his  men  on  the  insulating  sheet  who  had  been  vacci- 
nated seven  days  previously.  A  wire  duly  insulated 
and  four  inches  long,  was  made  to  connect  the  inocu- 
lated spot,  or  pustule,  on  the  man's  arm,  with  a  slight 
incision  made  in  the  arm  of  a  lad  with  a  new  lancet, 
and  the  current  of  electricity  applied  for  eight  minutes. 


Medical  Science.  57 

The  boy  was  duly  observed  afterwards,  and  proved  to 
be  as  completely  vaccinated  by  electricity  as  if  it  had 
been  done  in  the  usual  way.  The  boy's  vaccination 
was  also  transferred  by  electricity  through  wires  to  the 
arms  of  two  girls,  and  vaccine  appearances  produced, 
but  not  so  perfectly  as  on  the  boy.  The  effect,  how- 
ever, was  such  that  when  subsequently  one  of  the  girls 
was  vaccinated  in  four  places,  but  slight  effect  was 
produced. 

It  is  very  well  known  among  electric  practitioners 
that  it  is  very  injurious  to  receive  the  electric  current 
in  their  own  persons  through  the  body  of  a  patient. 

The  galvanic  current  accelerates  the  passage  of  fluids 
in  tubes  or  in  blood  vessels  and  may  be  used  to  trans- 
fer medicinal  substance  into  the  body  or  to  carry  me- 
tallic substance  out  of  it.  It  is  reasonable  to  suppose 
that  the  imponderable  elements  may  be  carried  by  the 
electric  current  as  well  as  ponderable  molecules.  It 
would  seem  a  priori  as  probable  that  the  electric  current 
would  carry  nervauric  or  medicinal  emanations  or  accel- 
erate their  passage,  as  that  a  breeze  should  bring  us 
the  odors  of  a  tree  in  bloom,  and  the  following  experi- 
ment illustrates  the  electric  transference  of  medicinal 
influences. 

A  metallic  tube  about  eight  inches  long  and  an  inch 
in  diameter  was  filled  with  paregoric  and  connected 
with  the  positive  pole  of  a  galvanic  circuit  of  twelve 
zinc  carbon  plates  by  a  wire  which  passed  through  the 
centre  of  the  tube  inserted  corks  at  each  end,  so  that 
the  current  could  pass  only  through  the  paregoric  to 
the  metal  tube.  This  was  placed  in  the  right  hand  of 
a  very  susceptible  lady  of  fine  physical  development, 


58  Psychometry  in 

the  left  holding  the  negative  electrode.  She  found  the 
influence  quite  pleasant,  nervine,  soothing,  stimulating 
to  the  brain  and  developing  a  little  perspiration,  making 
her  realize  that  the  medical  influence  was  of  the  ner- 
vine anodyne  class.  I  then  reversed  the  connections, 
bringing  the  tube  in  contact  with  the  negative  pole  and 
her  left  hand  in  connection  with  the  positive  pole, 
expecting  thereby  to  prove  the  removal  of  the  anodyne 
impression.  But  the  effect  was  more  decisive  than  I 
anticipated.  She  quickly  pronounced  the  current  too 
exciting  and  unbearable,  and  even  when  I  reduced  it  to 
one-third  the  number  of  cells  she  insisted  that  it  was 
very  objectionable,  refused  to  go  on  and  was  astonished 
at  the  strength  of  the  battery.  The  anodyne  influence, 
which  she  felt  so  agreeable  when  the  current  was  enter- 
ing her  hand  through  the  paregoric,  was  almost  instantly 
destroyed  when  the  current  flowed  in  the  opposite  di- 
rection. 

The  same  experiment  was  tried  in  the  psychometric 
class  on  five  ladies  and  two  gentlemen,  Dr.  R.,  Mr.  P., 
Mrs.  D.,  Mrs.  R.,  Mrs.  H.,  Miss  R.,  and  Miss  G.,  all  of 
whom  agreed  in  pronouncing  the  current  felt  through 
the  tube  (of  the  nature  of  which  no  hint  had  been  given) 
very  soothing,  nervine,  and  pleasant,  but  when  the  con- 
qection  was  changed,  the  tube  being  connected  with  the 
negative  pole  they  found  it  not  at  all  soothing,  but  stim- 
ulating and  exciting  to  a  degree  which  soon  became 
unpleasant  and  injurious.  Mr.  P.  being  a  stout  gentle- 
man, bore  the  non-medical  current  very  well  but  decid- 
edly preferred  the  other.  Mrs.  D.  and  Miss  R.,  who 
enjoyed  the  medical  current  found  the  other  quite  unen- 


Medical  Science.  59 

durable.  It  was  probably  made  more  so  by  the  contrast 
with  the  pleasant  influence  of  the  medical  current. 

To  test  the  transmission  of  medical  influence  by 
contact  alone,  I  placed  a  few  spoonfuls  of  white  granu- 
lated sugar  between  pieces  of  paper  which  had  several 
weeks  previously  been  moistened  with  tincture  of  cap- 
sicum and  thoroughly  dried.  It  was  left  in,  this  position 
about  an  hour,  then  removed  into  a  paper  box  for 
experiment.  Another  portion  of  sugar  was  placed  for 
the  same  time  between  dry  paper  which  had  once  been 
wet  with  a  fluid  extract  of  belladonna  and  in  like 
manner  removed  into  a  paper  box.  A  pinch  of  the 
sugar,  about  a  teaspoonful,  was  placed  in  the  palm  of  the 
hand  of  each  lady  in  a  company  of  nine  and  in  five 
minutes  was  recognized  by  seven  of  the  nine  as  a 
warming,  stimulating  influence.  Of  the  other  two  one 
felt  the  effect  on  the  head  and  the  other  felt  a  chilly 
influence. 

The  belladonna  sugar  was  promptly  recognized  by  all 
in  its  soothing  soporific  influence  and  decided  influence 
upon  the  head,  especially  the  frontal  region  the  effect 
being  much  greater  than  I  expected.  In  these  cases 
the  effect  was  due  solely  to  the  contact  of  the  crystals 
of  sugar  with  the  medicated  paper.  - 

As  influences  thus  pass  by  contact  independently  of 
electric  currents,  there  is  no  reason  why  the  influences 
which  pass  from  vials- of -medicine -to  the  hands  of  the 
sensitive  should -not 'pass  into  sugar  or  any  other  recep- 
tive substance  in  -contact  with  the  *vial*  to  a  sufficient 
extent  to  be.  recognized.  To  test  this  I  placed  a 
quantity- of,  white  granulated  sugar  in  contact  with  a 
vial  of  belladonna.  When  about  two  ounces  of  sugar 


60  PsycJwmetry  in 

was  employed,  Mrs.  B.  could  not  positively  recognize 
any  influence  distinct  from  the  sugar,  but  thought  there 
might  be  a  little  that  would  be  soothing  to  the  nervous 
system.  When,  however,  I  gave  her  the  amount  of 
a  grain  of  sugar  which  had  been  in  immediate  contact 
with  the  vial,  she  distinctly  recognized  an  influence  on 
the  nervous  system  similar  to  that  of  belladonna,  which 
she  thought  might  proceed  from  a  very  minute  amount 
of  belladonna. 

It  is  not  merely  contact  with  the  soil  that  affects  us, 
but  contact  with  the  atmosphere  affects  a  very  sensitive 
interior  region  in  the  chest.  The  air  is  in  contact  with 
everything  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  not  only  does 
it  absorb  the  moisture  of  bodies  of  water,  the  hot 
electric  conditions  of  dry  localities  in  the  sunshine,  and 
the  odorous  emanations  of  vegetation  and  decomposi- 
tion, but  carries  with  it  the  potentialities  of  contact 
which  we  experience  in  touching  a  medicine.  It  touches 
ten  thousand  medicinal  potencies  in  trees  and  plants  as 
well  as  minerals,  and  conveys  their  subtile  emanations  to 
us.  The  sensitive  feels  in  the  forests,  the  meadows,  and 
the  gardens  a  great  variety  of  subtile  influences  which 
are  generally  beneficial  —  far  more  so  than  the  dirty 
streets  of  cities  in  which  stupid  avarice  neglects  to  place 
the  health-giving  trees  and  allows  foulness  to  accumu- 
late in  the  soil. 

In  the  great  convulsions  of  nature  and  in  epidemics, 
the  influence  of  electric  currents  and  of  atmospheric 
changes  is  greatly  intensified.  In  the  great  earthquake 
of  January,  1348,  which  shook  nearly  all  the  south  of 
Europe  and  continued  for  several  days,  when  whole 
villages  were  swallowed  up  and  many  entirely  destroyed, 


Medical  Science.  6 1 

many  persons  experienced  a  feeling  of  stupor  and  head- 
ache and  many  fainted  away.  During  a  period  of 
twenty-six  years,  ending  in  1360,  earthquakes  and 
epidemics  devestated  Europe,  including  Great  Britain, 
and  it  is  estimated  that  twenty-five  millions  of  lives 
were  lost  by  this  terrible  pestilence  which  has  been 
called  the  Black  Death. 

In  modern  epidemics  there  are  changes  in  the  atmos- 
phere and  great  changes  of  electric  conditions,  which 
affect  magnets  and  telegraphic  operations  and  even 
modify  chemical  processes  (as  in  making  it  difficult  to 
manufacture  sulphuric  acid)  but  scientists  have  done 
very  little  to  determine  the  nature  of  these  epidemic 
influences. 

Not  even  an  atmospheric  carrier  is  needed  by  the 
sensitive  to  impress  tfiem  with  local  influences  ;  approxi- 
mation alone  is  sufficient  to  bring  them  in  the  sphere 
of  influence,  and  when  the  soul  expands  in  rapt  con- 
templation of  Nature  all  her  influences  are  taken  in  as 
if  all  surrounding  objects  were  a  constellation  shining 
into  the  soul.  "  High  mountains  are  to  me  a  feeling," 
was  the  expression  of  Byron.  That  chameleon  power 
by  which  the  soul  assimilates  with  its  surroundings  is 
derived  not  merely  from  intellectual  perception,  but 
from  the  power  of  emanation  and  of  psychometric  sym- 
pathy—  out  of  which  come  not  merely  physiological 
and  pathological  results,  but  all  the  psychological  con- 
ditions of  human  development.  All  the  elements  of  a 
nation's  home,  in  topography  and  climate  are  influential 
upon  national  character,  and  every  invalid  will  find  that 
all  of  his  surroundings  are  important. 

The  influences  of  localities  depend  on  the  permanent 


62  Psychometry  in 

elements  of  the  land,  and  the  transient  or  changeable 
elements  of  the  surface  which  are  under  our  control,  in 
conjunction  with  atmospheric  conditions,  temperature, 
electricity,  moisture  and  winds. 

The  basis  of  the  continent  (granite  and  gneiss)  is  a 
wholesome  foundation.  The  three  great  elements,  sylex, 
alumina  and  lime,  from  which,  with  a  few  additions, 
the  continents  are  built,  are  happily  adapted  to  human 
welfare.  The  more  tonic  and  stimulating  influence  of 
the  silex  in  quartz,  granite,  sandstone,  jasper,  and  the 
sands  of  our  soils  is  often  reinforced  with  the  still  more 
tonic  influence  of  ferruginous  elements  in  the  soils  and 
rocks.  Alumina  in  clay  and  aluminous  rocks  adds  a 
cool  antiseptic  influence  which  counteracts  malarious 
and  feverish  conditions,  and  when,  slightly  impregnated 
with  tonic  and  antiseptic  iron  makes  the  best  foundation 
for  health.  Lime  also  imparts  an  antiseptic  and  whole- 
some influence.  The  disintegration  of  these  three  ele- 
ments from  granite,  limestone,  shale  and  ,sandstone, 
forms  the  mineral  basis  of  soils  congenial  to  health  and 
activity,  upon  which  vegetatioji,  forming  carbonaceous 
and  nitrogenous^  Compounds,  easily  decomposed,  fur- 
nishes the  elements  of  .nialariat  which,  if  not  destroyed 
or  buried  in  the  soil,  apcumulate  in  lower  localities,  and 
generate  disease  by  decomposition. 

When  the  septic  elements  of  vegetable  matter  exposed 
to  warmth  and  moisture  are  not  adaquately  controlled 
by, the  aluminous  and  ferruginous  elements  of  the, jsoil, 
disease  must  result,  greatly  increased  by  extreme  ,heat 
and  cold  and  sudden  changes,  in  tetnperature  and  elec- 
tricity, which  sometimes  ^reqde,r  the  ^atmosphere  ex- 
tremely depressing  to  human  life.  Sensitive  persons 


Medical  Science.  63 

feel  these  changes  keenly,  and  recognize  the  approach 
of  snow  several  hours  in  advance.  Whatever  is  around 
us  in  earth,  sea  or  air  has  a  diffusive  influence,  and 
hence  every  locality  has  a  different  influence.  Chemis- 
try cannot  detect  the  influence,  but  every  sensitive 
is  powerfully  affected  by  it.  Salt  is  not  recognized  as 
an  evaporating  substance,  and  yet  it  affects  the  atmos- 
phere greatly.  Cattle  that  require  salt  in  the  interior 
of  the  country  do  not  require  it  in  seacoast  locations, 
and  it  is  said  not  to  be  necessary  in  an  island  sur- 
rounded like  England  by  oceanic  evaporation.  That 
there  is  an  actual  evaporation  of  the  saline  elements, 
possibly  decomposed,  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  in  such 
locations  tin  cannot  be  used  for  roofing,  on  account  of 
its  speedy  oxydation,  while  in  our  country  remote  from 
the  ocean,  tin  roofs  last  well  without  painting,  if  not 
exposed  to  coal  smoke. 

Our  sensibilities  reach  out  far  beyond  the  sphere  of 
contact.  Light  and  sound  bring  us  in  relation  with 
remote  objects,  and  make  them  impressive.  Odors, 
auras,  sounds  and  light,  come  to  us,  but  fall  often  on  a 
dulled  sense.  Thousands  of  odors  and  auras  are  unrec- 
ognized by  the  average  citizen.  Sounds  above  and 
below  a  certain  range  of  pitch  are  unheard.  Few  of 
the  colors  and  tints  in  nature  are  recognized  by  the 
average  masculine  eye,  and  the  actinic  ray  is  not  con- 
sidered visual,  nor  are  the  emanations  of  magnets  which 
are  visible  to  the  sensitive.  Beyond  all  these  f  the  psy- 
chic light,  by  which  spiritual  objects  are  seen,  is  im- 
known  to  the  great  majority,  and  even  denied  an  exi$t: 
ence  by  the  physical  scientist  who  is  unacquainted  with 
the  human  constitution. 


64  Psychometry  in 

There  is  something  more  than  the  passive  perception 
of  these  emanations  and  influences.  The  soul  has  an 
active  percipiency,  and  goes  forth  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge,  in  which  it  attains  the  sublimest  achieve- 
ments of  psychometry. 

This  psychometric  power  is  most  highly  developed 
under  favorable  conditions.  These  conditions  are  found 
in  elevated  positions  with  sunshine  and  pure  air.  The 
light  atmosphere  of  lofty  localities  developes  the  brain 
and  lungs,  and  therefore  produces  a  nobler  and  more 
spiritual  type  of  humanity,  with  stronger  religious  aspi- 
rations, more  perfect  health,  and  more  delicate  intui- 
tions. The  world's  history  proves  the  mountaineers  to 
be  the  nobler  portion  of  the  race.  The  great  cities  in 
which  populations  become  sodden  in  selfishness,  corrupt 
in  morals,  and  victims  of  pestilence,  are  near  the  sea 
level.  The  highest  portion  of  the  old  world  east  of  the 
Caspian  Sea  was  the  seat  of  the  noblest,  the  Caucassian 
race,  the  dominant  power  over  the  whole  earth  —  the 
authors  of  civilization  and  science.  In  the  mountain 
lands,  the  high  plateaus  and  sunny  climates  of  tropical 
and  southern,  temperate  regions,  intuitive  wisdom  will 
establish  its  empire. 

CONTAGION. 

The  revelations  of  psychometry  decisively  settle  the 
questions  between,  contagionists  and  non-contagionists 
which  have  for  ages  been  so  blindly  discussed  by  the 
opponents  of  contagion,  who  look  upon  it  merely  as  a 
physical  cause,  of  a  certain  exact  amount  of  potentiality, 
which  should  always  manifest  itself  with  the  certainty 
of  gravitation,  when,  in  fact,  contagion  is  essentially 


Medical  Science.  ^5 

dependent  on  a  power  of  the  nervous  system,  and  there- 
fore has  no  uniform  rule  of  operation,  but  varies  in  its 
manifestation  with  every  individual,  every  locality,  cli- 
mate and  season.  To  one  person  of  high  susceptibili- 
ties, and  moderate  or  reduced  vital  power,  all  diseases 
without  exception  are  contagious.  He  will  contract 
pain,  discomfort,  mental  disturbance,  confusion  of  mind, 
headache,  insanity,  moral  depravity,  suicidal  melancholy, 
neuralgia,  rheumatism,  fever,  and,  in  short,  all  unfortu- 
nate conditions  of  body  or  mind,  with  certainty  in  pro- 
portion to  his  exposure.  Such  persons  are  disqualified 
from  practising  medicine,  and  cannot  retain  health,  ex- 
cept by  the  utmost  possible  precaution  in  the  most 
favorable  locality  and  environment. 

Others  with  great  vital  power  and  very  limited  sensi- 
bility resist  all  contagions  and  exert  great  restorative 
powers  over  the  sick.  They  can  encounter  small  pox 
and  contagious  fevers  with  impunity. 

As  there  are  all  possible  intermediate  grades  of  sensi- 
bility to  contagion,  those  who  ignore  the  susceptibility 
and  variety  of  human  constitutions  and  suppose  conta, 
gion  to  depend  entirely  on  the  quality  of  the  disease- 
must  necessarily  adopt  a  chaos  of  contradictory  opinions, 
as  diseases  continually  vary  (in  their  diffusiveness)  ac- 
cording to  national  or  personal  idiosyncrasy  and  climatic 
conditions. 

Psychometric  science  directs  our  attention  away 
from  the  contradictory  records  of  the  medical  profession 
which  pronounce  a  disease  contagious  and  with  equal 
positiveness  pronounce  it  absolutely  and  universally 
non-contagious,  to  the  study  of  individual  susceptibility, 


66  Psychometry  in 

as  it  may  be  increased  by  debility  and  hot  weather,  or 
diminished  by  vital  energy  and  cooler  temperatures. 

Moreover  the  knowledge  of  the  true  causes  of  trans- 
mission of  diseases  relieves  us  at  once  from  the  illusive 
theories  which  require  us  to  search  in  all  cases  for 
a  physical  agency,  for  germs,  vapors,  or  contaminated 
substances,  and  which  leads  us  to  believe  that  we  are 
safe  by  certain  physical  precautions  when  we  are  really 
in  imminent  danger.  There  are  many  who  cannot  ap- 
proach for  one  minute  a  ase  of  acute  disease  without 
absorbing  its  influence  by  nervous  and  psychic  sympa- 
thy. 

The  true  understanding  of  contagion  enlarges  greatly 
our  conception  of  the  precautions  necessary  in  a  warm 
climate  and  among  sensitive  people,  and  justifies  the 
precaution  which  in  Italy  destroys  by  fire  all  the  furni- 
ture of  the  apartment  that  has  been  occupied  by  a  con- 
sumptive patient.  It  explains  also  the  deadly  influence 
of  hospitals  which  have  been  occupied  by  severe  forms 
of  disease  for  a  long  time,  and  which  are  become  so  pro- 
foundly infected  by  influences  which  are  invisible,  and 
incapable  of  chemical  detection  as  to  produce  extreme 
mortality  in  cases  that  recover  well  in  open  tents. 
Chemical  disinfection  may  destroy  the  offensive  matters 
which  are  most  injurious  to  health,  but  I  do  not  believe 
it  can  entirely  remove  the  morbid  influences  which  are 
left  by  diseased  constitutions  impregnating  the  solid 
substance  of  an  apartment. 

In  the  black  death  of  the  I4th  century  Prof.  Hecker 
says,  "Every  spot  which  the  sick  had  touched,  their 
breath,  their  clothes,  spread  the  contagion ;  and  as  in 
all  other  places,  the  attendants  and  friends  who  were 


Medical  Science.  67 

either  blind  to  their  danger  or  heroically  despised  it, 
fell  a  sacrifice  to  their  sympathy.  Even  the  eyes  of  the 
patient  were  considered  as  sources  of  contagion,  which 
had  the  power  of  acting  at  a  distance."  So  in  ancient 
times,  he  says,  "  the  sight  was  considered  as  the  bearer 
of  a  demoniacal  enchantment."* 

These  were  correct  observations.  An  exchange  of 
glances  for  one  minute  with  a  fever  patient  by  a  perfect 
sensitive  is  sufficient  to  transfer  a  disease  which  may 
go  on  to  the  destruction  of  life  in  a  feeble  and  predis- 
posed constitution,  or  may  be  thrown  off  by  one  of 
healthy  vigor.  Hence  for  many  persons  the  only  reli- 
able protection  is  the  absolute  isolation  of  the  sick  from 
the  well,  a  principle  long  known,  since  physicians  of  the 
second  century  recommended  this  as  the  proper  pre- 
caution against  leprosy. 

Our  knowledge  of  the  laws  of  contagion,  however, 
will  not  lead  to  the  selfish  abandonment  of  the  sick,  but 
will  teach  us  to  protect  the  delicate  and  sensitive  from 
all  morbid  exposure,  and  to  entrust  nursing  cares  to 
those  who  can  bear  them.  It  will  also  teach  us  that 


*  "  Correct  notions  of  contagion  have  descended  from  remote  antiquity, 
and  were  maintained  unchanged  in  the  14th  century.  So  far  back  as  the 
age  of  Plato,  a  knowledge  of  the  contagious  power  of  malignant  inflam- 
mations of  the  eye,  of  which  also  no  physician  of  the  middle  ages  enter- 
tained a  doubt,  was  general  among  the  people  ;  yet  in  modern  times 
surgeons  have  filled  volumes  with  partial  controversies  on  this  subject. 
The  whole  language  of  antiquity  has  adapted  itself  to  the  notions  of  the 
people,  respecting  the  contagion  of  pestilential  diseases  ;  and  their  terms 
were,  beyond  comparison,  more  expressive  than  those  in  use  among  the 
moderns."  HECKER  on  the  Black  Death. 

The  advantage  of  the  ancients  was  due  to  the  fact  that  they  had  not 
fallen  into  the  slough  of  materialism  and  did  not  ignore  invisible  influ- 


68  Psychometry  in 

great  evils  may  be  inflicted  on  the  young  by  contagion 
when  there  are  no  acute  diseases  in  the  case.  The 
debility  of  age,  melancholy,  feebleness,  moroseness,  and 
even  phlegmatic  dullness  may  be  inflicted  by  association 
on  the  young  to  the  permanent  injury  of  their  future 
life.  All  association  has  a  contagious  power,  and 
therefore  children  often  receive  much  more  education 
or  modification  of  character  from  their  school  compan- 
ions than  from  their  teacher. 

Adults  obey  the  same  law  of  psychic  contagion,  and 
he  who  would  train  himself  for  a  higher  life  than  belongs 
to  the  social  level  around  him  must,  to  a  great  extent, 
isolate  himself  from  society,  unless  he  possesses  the 
heroic  constitution  which  overpowers  everything  around 
it. 

Contagion  is  continually  in  progress.  Every  apart- 
ment that  is  occupied,  and  every  chair  that  is  sat  upon 
receives  the  physical  and  psychic  impress  of  the  occu- 
pant, and  acquires  a  beneficial  or  injurious  influence  for 
his  successor.  Everything  touched  by  the  victims  of 
the  Black  Death  became  a  source  of  contagion,  and  the 
infection  was  so  permanent  that  Hecker  says  that 
"frightful  ill-consequences  io\\Qwd.for  many  years  after 
the  first  fury  of  the  pestilence  was  passed." 

All  objects,  therefore,  may  become  centres  of  moral 
and  physical  contagion  for  a  great  length  of  time,  and 
he  who  has  a  sensitive  under  his  care  should  be  careful 
into  what  society  or  apartments  the  sensitive  is  intro- 
duced. While  making  psychometric  experiments  with 
a  lady  recently,  we  were  disturbed  by  the  restlessness, 
pain,  and  discomfort  in  the  lower  limbs  which  came 
upon  her,  which  we  did  not  understand  until  we  recol- 


Medical  Science.  69 

lected  that  the  easy  chair  she  was  sitting  in  had  long 
been  occupied  by  an  invalid  of  restless  temperament 
troubled  with  sciatica.  The  discomfort  soon  passed  off 
after  taking  another  chair. 

It  is  but  a  small  part  of  the  medical  value  of  Psychom- 
etry  that  it  illustrates  the  philosophy  and  hygiene  of 
contagion,  now  resting  on  a  false  physical  basis  in  the 
mind  of  the  profession,  and  settles  the  question  between 
gross  and  infinitesimal  medication,  by  proving  the  value 
and  rationality  of  the  latter  and  the  fallacy  of  the 
materialistic  idea  which  lies  at  the  basis  of  the  old  prac- 
tice. 

Its  highest  claims  are  as  the  ABSOLUTE  GUIDE  of  DI- 
AGNOSIS and  THERAPEUTICS  in  which  the  general  intro- 
duction of  psychometry  and  utilization  of  its  benefits 
will  constitute  the  greatest  and  most  beneficent  addition 
to  the  resources  of  the  profession  that  has  ever  been 
made,  not  excepting  the  therapeutic  discoveries  of 
Hahnemann,  for  which  I  entertain  the  most  profound 
respect. 

There  is  no  extravagance  in  this  claim  if  psychom- 
etry gives  the  power  of  diagnosis  and  the  power  of 
therapeutic  selection.  For  the  whole  art  of  medical 
practice  consists  in  correct  diagnosis  and  prognosis  fol- 
lowed by  correct  adaptation  of  remedies. 

Success  in  the  practice  of  medicine  (not  in  acquiring 
profit  or  fame,  but  in  curative  treatment)  depends  upon 
two  things,  the  perception  of  the  disease  and  the  percep- 
tion of  the  remedy. 

Both  of  these  perceptions  belong  to  the  sphere  of 
intuition.  No  physician  ever  acquired  an  accurate 
knowledge  of  the  condition  of  the  patient  without  the 


70  Psychometry  in 

exercise  of  psychometric  perception,  though  he  might 
otherwise  learn  the  prominent  symptoms.  Nor  can 
there  be  a  clear  and  comprehensive  knowledge  of  the 
relation  of  a  remedy  to  the  condition  of  a  patient,  with- 
out the  exercise  of  the  same  intuitive  power.  Homoe- 
opathy has  made  a  long  stride  toward  the  ascertainment 
of  this  adaptation,  but  neither  the  totality  of  the  symp- 
toms nor  the  totality  of  the  therapeutic  power  in  any 
remedy  can  be  reached  by  the  methods  of  science, 
because  the  totality  is  too  complex,  too  extensive,  and 
too  delicate  for  any  or  all  scientific  methods. 

Hence  medical  practice  has  ever  been  a  succession  of 
blunders,  intermingled  with  occasional  approximations 
to  correct  prescriptions  by  a  careful  study  of  drugs  and 
symptoms,  and  with  true  marvellous  cures  guided  by  un- 
conscious psychometry. 

Knowing  nothing  of  psychometry  and  its  possibilities, 
medical  colleges  are  continually  turning  out  as  accom- 
plished physicians  a  heterogeneous  multitude,  of  whom 
some  have  the  genius  which  masters  diseases  and 
remedies,  which  leads  them  to  success,  however  poor 
their  instruction,  while  others,  constitutionally  blind  to 
pathological  and  therapeutic  indications,  actually  in 
crease  the  mortality  of  disease,  while  a  still  larger  num- 
ber have  just  enough  psychometric  perception,  after 
acquiring  experience,  to  avoid  gross  errors. 

The  greatest  possible  step  to  elevate  the  medical 
profession  rapidly  would  be  a  preliminary  examination 
which  would  reject  from  the  profession  every  young  man 
not  sufficiently  endowed  with  psychometric  power  to 
insure  accuracy  of  diagnosis.  But  how  is  this  possible 


Medical  Science.  fi 

when  teaching  is  a  business  matter,  dependent  on  the 
revenue  from  students'  fees. 

In  my  professional  instruction,  thirty  years  ago,  I  en- 
deavored to  elicit  the  psychometric  capacity  of  our 
students,  and  in  one  of  these,  Dr.  Grosvenor  Swan,  I 
recognized  excellent  psychometric  capacities  which  jus- 
tified the  expectation  that  he  would  excel  as  a  practi- 
tioner, and  would  be  more  accurate  than  physicians 
generally  in  diagnosis.  I  might  relate  many  instances 
of  his  skill  in  this  respect,  but  two  or  three  will  be  suf- 
ficient. 

In  1869  an  accident  occurred  in  Jackson  County, 
Iowa,  town  of  Andrew.  A  man  had  been  thrown  from 
a  sled  on  the  hard  ground  with  such  force  as  to  injure 
his  hip  and  disable  the  limb.  The  first  doctor  called 
in  pronounced  it  a  fracture  at  the  upper  third  of  the 
femur,  and  accordingly  set  it  and  placed  the  limb  in  a 
box.  The  patient  suffered  so  much  that  he  feared  some- 
thing was  wrong,  and  sent  for  another  doctor,  who  was 
considered  the  most  eminent  surgeon  in  that  part  of  the 
State.  He  claimed  that  the  former  physician  was  mis- 
taken, and  that  the  fracture  was  at  the  neck  of  the 
femur,  and  on  this  theory  put  on  a  new  dressing, 
securing  the  limb  very  firmly  in  a  box. 

A  great  excitement  was  created  in  the  neighborhood, 
each  doctor  being  confident  that  he  was  right,  and  an 
opportunity  was  made  for  a  meeting  of  doctors  to  settle 
the  matter.  Dr.  Swan  (who  resided  ten  miles  away) 
and  six  other  physicians  attended,  and  they  were  about 
equally  divided  in  opinion  as  to  the  location  of  the  frac- 
ture, which  they  all  supposed  to  exist. 

Dr.  Swan,  in  sitting  by  the  patient,  got  a  sudden 


72  Psychometry  in 

psychometric  impression  that  there  was  no  fracture  at 
all,  and  requested  the  box  and  the  dressing  to  be  re- 
moved from  the  limb.  Being  asked  for  his  opinion,  he 
advised  that  the  splints  and  dressing  should  be  removed 
and  replaced  by  hot  fomentations  of  bitter  herbs.  They 
asked,  with  surprise,  if  he  would  take  the  responsibility 
of  treating  the  case  in  that  way,  and  the  patient  re- 
plied that  he  would  take  the  responsibility  and  follow 
Dr.  Swan's  treatment,  under  which  the  man  recovered 
the  use  of  the  limb  in  a  week,  proving  that  the  physi- 
cians were  all  mistaken  in  reference  to  so  simple  and 
palpable  a  condition  as  a  fracture. 

Dr.  Swan's  perception  in  this  case  was  psychometric, 
not  being  based  on  any  physical  examination,  and  he 
had  had  experience  enough  to  rely  upon  it  as  many 
other  physicians  might  who  possess  this  power,  but  not 
being  trained  to  exercise  and  rely  upon  it  they  fail  to 
do  justice  to  themselves. 

In  another  instance,  in  1869,  when  Dr.  Swan  resided 
at  Watertown,  N.  Y.,  the  case  of  a  young  lady  in 
Rodman  embarrassed  the  physicians  and  surgeons  of 
that  part  of  the  State,  and  elicited  a  great  deal  of 
discussion.  The  patient  was  said  to  be  suffering  from 
a  tumor  in  the  right  side,  nearly  opposite  the  umbilicus, 
and  several  consultations  had  been  held  over  the  case 
by  the  most  eminent  surgeons  of  that  region.  All 
agreed  that  it  was  a  tumor,  but  did  not  agree  as  to  the 
character  of  the  formation  and  its  attachments,  and 
hence  there  was  a  hesitation  as  to  submitting  the  case 
to  an  operation. 

Dr.  Swan  being  called  in  found  an  enlargement  about 
three  inches  in  diameter,  which  had  been  blistered 


Medical  Science.  73 

until  the  whole  surface  was  raw,  and  did  not  admit  of  a 
manual  examination.  However,  his  instantaneous  psy- 
chometric impression  indicated  that  it  was  an  abscess, 
and  he  at  once  told  them  that  it  was  an  abscess  con- 
taining a  pint  of  matter,  which  required  to  be  opened. 
Not  having  an  instrument  with  him  he  returned  to 
Watertown  and  sent  Dr.  Trowbridge  with  a  trocar  to 
perform  the  operation  (who  had  believed  it  to  be  a 
tumor).  Dr.  Trowbridge  reported  that  the  contents  of 
the  abscess  amounted  fully  to  a  pint  as  Dr.  Swan  had 
stated. 

Many  might  suppose  that  these  were  only  illustrations 
of  the  superior  sagacity  of  an  experienced  physician. 
But  when  a  sudden  impression  leads  one  to  an  opinion 
contradictory  to  the  opinions  of  all  who  are  guided  by 
external  indications,  such  impressions  are  psychometric. 
Moreover,  Dr.  Swan  has  often  pronounced  with  equal 
correctness  upon  patients  at  a  distance. 

In  my  own  limited  practice,  which  I  have  never 
made  a  principal  occupation,  I  have  no  hesitation  in 
relying  upon  a  psychometric  diagnosis  by  Mrs.  B., 
and  directing  the  treatment  of  patients  whom  I  had 
never  seen,  but  whose  assurances  of  correct  description 
and  satisfactory  cures  have  been  all  that  I  could  expect. 
A  surgeon  of  reputation  in  Colorado,  wrote  for  a  diag- 
nosis of  his  own  case  which  proved  satisfactory  to  his 
critical  mind.  A  lady  in  New  Hampshire  wrote  for  a 
diagnosis,  and  the  description  developed  so  large  an 
amount  of  chronic  disease  that  I  was  almost  afraid  to 
undertake  the  case,  but  relying  implicitly  on  the  diag- 
nosis a  cure  was  effected  by  sending  remedies.  In  no 


74  Choice  of  Physicians. 

case  have  patients  failed  to  recognize  the  truth  of  the 
diagnosis. 

I  could  relate  the  history  of  physicians  who  by  their 
psychometric  power,  which  I  explained  to  them,  sur- 
passed all  competitors  in  their  therapeutic  success,  and 
one  especially,  who  without  any  previous  preparation 
entered  the  profession,  conducting  his  studies  in  the 
midst  of  an  active  business,  and  in  four  years  rose  to 
the  front  rank  of  practitioners  and  accumulated  a  hand- 
some estate. 

A  volume  might  be  filled  with  the  records  of  the 
marvellous  diagnosis  and  prognosis  of  intuition  not  only 
by  physicians,  but  by  persons  wholly  uninstructed  in 
medicine  who  have  corrected  the  errors  of  experienced 
physicians,  but  this  subject  properly  belongs  to  a  work 
for  the  medical  profession  before  whom  the  subject 
must  be  brought. 

CHOICE    OF    PHYSICIANS. 

In  no  profession  is  society  so  frequently  and  so 
profoundly  deceived  as  in  the  medical.  Professional 
success  is  achieved  by  force  of  character,  by  selfish 
energy,  by  impressive  manners,  by  social  intrigue,  by 
elegant  display  and  use  of  money,  by  literary  culture,  by 
pedantic  display  of  science  in  something  irrelevant  to 
healing,  by  professional  education  which  has  far  more 
learning  than  utility,  by  fashionable  associations  and 
family  influence  —  in  short,  everything  else  but  ability 
to  heal  the  sick.  Without  these  adjuncts,  the  most 
skilful  in  the  healing  art  may  creep  through  life  in 
comparative  obscurity  and  witness  the  success  of  those 
who  accumulate  wealth  and  acquire  influence,  while 


Choice  of  Physicians.  75 

their  patients  have  twice  the  mortality  that  science 
would  recognize  as  legitimate.  The  majority  of  fash- 
ionable and  wealthy  physicians  are  not  successful  prac- 
titioners. The  qualities  that  make  a  true  physician  are 
not  the  qualities  that  impress  society.  The  modest 
sensitiveness  that  sympathizes  with  the  patient  and 
forms  the  basis  of  skilful  intuition,  the  pure  unselfish- 
ness that  delights  in  helping  a  sufferer  and  is  loth  to 
deprive  him  of  his  toil-worn  earnings,  the  patient 
study  that  gives  him  a  mastery  of  disease  while  his 
rivals  are  seeking  the  mastery  of  society  —  all  these  are 
unfriendly  to  his  success.  There  is  many  a  modest 
country  doctor  who  barely  obtains  a  modest  subsistence 
and  gives  his  service  for  modest  fees,  when  ostentatious 
pretenders  in  the  city  gain  wealth  while  consigning 
hundreds  to  the  undertakers  whom  many  a  modest 
country  doctor  would  have  saved.  The  illiterate  clair- 
voyant and  magnetic  healers  who  have  no  social  rank 
nor  intellectual  accomplishments  nor  imposing  man- 
ners, may  go  on  healing  year  after  year  the  cases  aban- 
doned as  incurable  by  physicians  well  equipped  with  so- 
cial influence,  but  poorly  equipped  with  therapeutic  re- 
sources, but  society  blindly  follows  fashion  and  ignores 
humble  merit.  Many  a  physician  lives  and  dies  in 
obscurity  while  performing  cures  which  in  those  of 
more  fortunate  position  would  have  been  appreciated  as 
wonderful. 

The  most  distinguished  physician  of  this  day,  enjoy- 
ing the  largest  professional  income,  amounting  at  its 
height  to  a  hundred  thousand  dollars  per  annum,  was, 
although  highly  skilful  in  operative  surgery,  a  medical 
barbarian  in  practice.  That  physician,  Sir  ASTLEV 


76  Choice  of  Physicians. 

COOPER,  was,  according  to  authentic  accounts  utterly 
unfit  to  practice  medicine.  For  we  are  informed  in  his 
biography  by  his  nephew  how  wretchedly  limited  were 
his  resources.  The  statement  is  as  follows  :  "  So  sim- 
ple were  Mr.  Cooper's  prescriptions,  that  he  had  five 
or  six  formulae,  which  under  ordinary  circumstances 
constituted  his  complete  pharmacopoeia,  and  such  medi- 
cines he  kept  constantly  made  up.  .  .  .  His  remedies 
were  limited  in  number  and  but  little  varied  in  use,  for 
he  never  had  any  confidence  in  an  extensive  variety  of 
medicines.  I  have  heard  him  say,  'give  me  quinine, 
tartarized  antimony,  sulphate  of  magnesia,  calomel  and 
bark,  and  I  could  ask  for  little  else.' ' 

The  wretched  ignorance  expressed  in  this  confession 
can  be  appreciated  only  by  the  well  educated  physician 
who  knows  how  deplorable  must  be  the  results  of  a 
practice  depending  on  such  resources  alone.  Our 
present  materia  medica  contains  over  one  thousand 
remedies,  and  still  is  painfully  inadequate,  compelling  a 
search  for  better  resources.  Yet  the  colleges  have  so 
much  the  spirit  of  Cooper  that  their  instruction  in 
materia  medica  is  wretchedly  inadequate.  As  the  con- 
ditions of  disease  are  infinitely  diversified  beyond  the 
power  of  the  human  mind  to  conceive  and  recollect 
them  or  even  to  ascertain  them  without  the  aid  of 
intuition,  and  as  every  different  condition  demands  a 
different  remedy,  the  attempt  to  practice  the  healing  art 
with  five  remedies  would  be  regarded  by  all  enlightened 
physicians  to-day  as  a  very  flagrant  example  of  quackery. 

Psychometry  pierces  at  once  through  all  the  surroun  1- 
ing  ostentation  to  the  real  basis  of  professional  charac- 
ter. To  illustrate  its  power  I  submitted  to  Mrs.  K  the 


Choice  of  Physicians.  77 

professional  character  of  five  whom  I  had  well  known 
as  distinguished  physicians  of  very  different  capacities, 
asking  her  to  give  their  professional  character  as  phy- 
sicians. 

No.  i.  The  professor  of  practice  to  whose  instructions 
I  listened  as  a  student  fifty  years  ago  was  described  as 
follows  from  an  old  letter. 

"He  is  not  living."  (What  sort  of  a  physician  was 
he?)  "  In  his  particular  line  of  practice  he  was  well 
versed  and  might  have  been  considered  skilful.  He 
had  a  good  deal  of  magnetism,  was  very  earnest  and 
had  great  confidence  in  his  doctrine,  but  I  would  not 
employ  him."  (Why?)  "He  may  have  understood 
anatomy  well,  but  he  was  not  progressive  —  he  never 
cared  to  change  or  to  follow  others  ;  he  felt  that  he  was 
always  the  best  judge.  He  understood  how  to  manage 
difficult  cases,  was  a  man  of  decision  and  a  medical 
writer,  but  I  would  not  like  his  drug  practice  —  he  gave 
too  large  doses.  He  was  considered  an  authority  in  trie 
profession  but  he  did  not  apply  progressive  principles. 
He  was  a  sincere  and  conscientious  man,  and  had  pro- 
fessional success  and  reputation,  but  was  not  generally 
successful  with  his  patients.  He  got  no  new  ideas  and 
must  have  declined  in  his  reputation.  He  was  orthodox 
in  religion  and  very  tenacious  in  all  his  principles." 

This  was  Prof.  John  Esten  Cooke,  of  Transylvania 
University,  an  honest  and  earnest  man,  author  of  a  system 
of  practice  and  of  a  volume  on  the  "Invalidity  of  Pres- 
byterian Ordination  "  ;  and  one^  of  the  most  perfect 
representatives  of  the  horrible  system  of  practice  that 
prevailed  in  the  Southwest  half  a  century  ago,  when 
the  majority  of  the  sick  were  salivated  by  mercurials. 


78  Choice  of  Physicians. 

He  taught  the  heroic  use  of  calomel  as  the  leading 
agent  in  practice,  beginning  with  twenty  grains  and 
doubling  the  dose  on  successive  visits  if  necessary  — 
giving  it  in  cholera  in  teaspoonful  doses.  To  one  of 
the  theological  students,  a  brilliant  young  man,  Mr. 
Douglass,  he  gave  altogether  a  pound  and  a  half  before 
he  died,  as  I  was  informed  by  his  friend,  Rev.  Mr. 
Brittan,  who  confessed  to  having  taken  three  fourths  of 
a  pound  himself  from  Dr.  Cooke. 

The  drift  of  Dr.  Cooke's  instruction  was  no  better 
than  the  practice  of  Sir  Astley  Cooper.  It  conveyed 
the  impression  that  nearly  all  diseases  needed  nothing 
but  purgation  by  a  pill  compound  of  one  grain  each  of 
calomel  aloes  and  rhubarb.  He  did  as  the  opinion  says, 
"decline  in  reputation,"  for  their  was  sufficient  intelli- 
gence in  the  profession  to  realize  after  a  time  that  his 
teaching  was  a  medical  barbarism,  and  his  colleagues, 
unable  to  get  rid  of  him  in  any  other  way,  paid  him  a 
handsome  bonus  to  procure  his  resignation. 

He  was  inaccessible  to  a  new  idea,  and  when  at  the 
residence  of  one  of 'his  friends,  a  trustee  of  the  college, 
I  made  some  demonstrations  of  the  impressibility  of  the 
brain,  the  friend  waited  to  hear  his  opinion  of  it  after 
the  company  left,  as  a  matter  of  science,  but  received 
only  the  remark,  "  I  don't  see  how  he  can  make  any 
money  out  of  it ! "  Nor  would  he  engage  in  the  inves- 
tigation of  the  subject  after  being  appointed  on  a 
committee  for  that  purpose  by  the  Board  of  Trustees, 
'although  the  novel  proposition  which  I  presented  were 
the  most  important  which  have  ever  been  presented  in 
the  science  of  physiology,  involving  a  complete  demon- 
stration of  the  functions  of  the  brain. 


Choice  of  Physicians.  79 

No.  2  was  described  from  an  old  letter  as  follows  :  — 

"This  is  a  man  of  intellect  and  appreciation,  capable 
of  receiving  new  ideas  and*ready  to  acknowledge.  He 
was  a  hard  student  —  loved  to  investigate  and  to  prac- 
tise what  he  knew  —  was  never  entirely  satisfied  with 
his  knowledge.  He  would  fall  in  with  your  ideas.  He 
understood  the  use  of  medicines  but  did  not  give  such 
heroic  doses.  He  was  a  good  surgeon  and  would  prefer 
surgery  to  general  practice,  was  skilful  in  that  depart- 
ment, could  set  bones  with  great  facility,  always  suc- 
cessful, made  no  mistakes.  He  had  psychometric  power. 
He  had  passed  away  a  good  many  years.  He  was  good 
in  diagnosis,  could  feel  the  trouble  in  his  patients,  and 
was  sympathetic.  I  would  not  fear  to  trust  my  life 
with  him.  He  would  be  called  in  as  counsel  in  difficult 
cases.*' 

(What  system  did  he  favor?)  "He  was  Eclectic  or 
progressive.  He  was  very  good  in  obstetrical  cases  but 
was  inclined  to  surgery." 

(What  was  his  constitution  ?)  "He  was  not  robust 
but  slender,  would  be  likely  to  contract  pulmonic  dis- 
ease. He  did  not  attain  age,  I  don't  think  he  was  over 
fifty  when  he  passed  away." 

The  entire  description  is  very  correct.  The  writer 
was  my  colleague,  Dr.  BENJAMIN  L.  HILL,  professor  of 
surgery  in  the  Eclectic  Medical  Institute,  a  very 
skilful  physician  and  surgeon  with  psychometric  powers, 
great  liberality  and  mental  activity.  He  contributed 
much  to  the  progress  of  the  liberal  movement  hi 
medicine,  accepted  any  demonstrations  of  Anthropology, 
and  was  the  author  of  a  system  of  surgery,  one  of  the 
most  valuable  contributions  to  professional  literature. 


8o  Choice  of  Physicians. 

He  accepted  Homoeopathy  after  giving  it  a  practical 
trial.  His  constitution  was  delicate  and  he  died  of 
pulmonary  disease  as  she  indicated,  though  I  have  not 
the  exact  date» 

No.  3  was  described  as  follows,  from  the  name :  — 
"  I  don't  exactly  fancy  this  man.  He  is  rather  selfish. 
He  could  talk  well  and  lecture  well.  I  think  he  was  a 
professor  and  knew  a  great  deal  of  anatomy,  but  did  not 
know  as  much  about  the  brain  as  he  might.  He  made 
large  pretensions  to  knowledge  and  speculated.  He 
would  not  accept  your  reformatory  ideas ;  he  was  a 
narrow  man.  (What  department  of  the  profession  was 
he  devoted  to?)  He  was  good  in  obstetrics.  He  could 
lecture  on  surgery  and  would  pay  special  attention  to 
that,  though  he  jnight  have  more  attraction  to  other 
parts  of  the  profession.  He  was  probably  a  better 
operative  surgeon  than  the  last,  was  more  dashing  and 
fearless,  having  great  confidence  in  himself,  but  was  not 
as  good  a  practitioner.  He  wrote  well  and  had  a  very 
good  reputation.  Having  a  good  deal  of  push  he  would 
rank  among  the  first." 

This  was  the  late  Prof.  S.  D.  Gross,  of  Philadelphia, 
eminent  as  a  surgical  professor  and  author.  He  could 
never  be  induced  to  pay  any  attention  to  my  discov- 
eries in  the  brain,  and  courteously  informed  me  by  letter 
that  it  was  impossible  for  my  discoveries  in  reference  to 
the  materia  medica  to  be  brought  before  the  National 
Medical  Association  because  they  were  governed  by  the 
code  and  I  was  not.  Hence  it  would  be  impossible  even 
to  have  a  committee  of  investigation  appointed,  and  he 
advised  me  to  bring  my  medical  discoveries  before  some 
society  not  belonging  to  the  medical  profession,  not 


Choice  of  Physicians.  8 1 

perceiving  that  in  giving  such  a  recommendation  he 
was  uttering  a  satire  upon  himself  and  the  Association 
by  confessing  their  aversion  to  scientific  progress  which 
they  could  not  control.  A  letter  of  Dr.  Gross  was  one 
of  the  first  four  described  by  Mr.  Inman,  and  his 
description  was  similar  to  the  foregoing. 

No.  4  was  described  as  follows  :  — 

"This  man  was  loyal  to  his  profession,  and  would 
accept  anything  presented  with  good  authority  and 
utilize  it.  He  was  fond  of  experimenting  —  had  a  good 
deal  of  brain  power.  He  had  a  noble  purpose.  He 
guarded  against  imposition  and  fanciful  ideas,  and 
sought  to  have  good  authority  for  what  he  adopted. 
He  was  a  well  balanced  man.  It  seems  to  me  he 
published.  He  liked  to  get  his  ideas  before  the  people. 
He  was  a  very  industrious  man,  not  content  to  write 
prescriptions  but  looked  into  cases  thoroughly  to  under- 
stand them.  He  accomplished  much  and  attained  some 
fame.  He  exerted  a  good  influence  in  bringing  forward 
new  processes  and  diminishing  drugging,  but  his  views 
were  not  generally  received.  The  profession  was  not 
prepared  for  such  progress.  His  labors  produced  a 
good  effect,  increasing  toleration  and  introducing  a  new 
system.  He  was  profoundly  eclectic.  He  discarded 
bleeding  and  harsh  measures.  He  was  a  successful 
practitioner,  very  much  like  the  second.  I  do  not  think 
he  is  living." 

This  was  a  just  and  very  accurate  description  of  Dr. 
WOOSTER  BEACH,  the  pioneer  of  the  Eclectic  reform  in 
medical  practice,  whose  three  volumes  of  practice  and 
surgery  published  more  than  sixty  years  ago,  were  at 
that  time  very  far  in  advance  of  anything  in  medical 


82  Choice  of  Physicians. 

literature.  He  will  rank  high  in  history  as  a  reformer 
and  benefactor  to  humanity. 

No.  5  was  described  as  follows  :  — 

"He  was  an  American  and  above  the  usual  size  of 
Americans,  had  a  large  .brain,  a  great  deal  of  will  power 
and  self-esteem.  He  was  an  independent  thinker  not 
intimidated  by  opposition,  somewhat  pugnacious  as 
to  doctrines  and  not  sufficiently  amiable  to  be  generally 
popular.  He  was  quite  verbose  and  would  make  a  stir 
in  society.  He  had  talent,  was  well  read,  and  a  good 
lecturer,  clear  headed,  and  popular  with  students, 
capable  of  lecturing  on  almost  any  medical  subject, 
and  felt  that  he  had  few  superiors.  He  was  progressive 
and  somewhat  original,  would  be  apt  to  take  hold  of 
new  ideas,  especially  phrenology,  and  was  favorable  to 
your  ideas.  He  was  in  love  with  his  profession,  had 
great  penetration  and  looked  forward  to  results.  He 
was  fond  of  debating  and  wished  to  be  regarded  as 
understanding  every  great  theme  before  the  public. 
He  was  a  very  good  lecturer,  had  a  strong  way  of 
speaking.  He  travelled  a  good  deal  and  lectured  much 
more  than  he  practiced.  He  could  practice  if  required 
by  necessity,  but  he  preferred  literature  and  lecturing. 
The  leaders  of  the  profession  did  not  give  him  as  much 
credit  as  he  deserved,  but  considered  him  visionary  as 
he  was  more  progressive  and  independent." 

This  is  a  very  remarkable  description  of  Prof.  CHARLES 
CALDWELL,  more  vivid  from  impressions  derived  from 
an  old  letter  written  under  excitement  from  the  machina- 
tions of  his  colleagues.  He  was  a  man  of  commanding 
appearance  and  energy,  of  great  learning,  fluency  and 
impressiveness.  In  his  younger  days  he  was  a  contem- 


Choice  of  Physicians.  83 

porary  and  competitor  of  Rush.  In  his  latter  days  he 
was  a  medical  professor  of  Transylvania  University, 
where  I  had  the  pleasure  of  attending  his  lectures  in 
1834.  He  was  famous  for  his  ability,  his  copious 
writings,  his  power  as  a  lecturer,  his  self-esteem,  and 
his  progressive  liberal  independent  views.  His  moral 
courage  in  sustaining  Phrenology  and  Animal  Magnet- 
ism against  the  hostility  of  the  profession  deserves 
great  honor.  Although  the  phrenology  of  Gall  was  an 
imperfect  science,  it  had  a  large  amount  of  demonstrated 
truth  of  which  Prof.  Caldwell  became  the  American 
champion.  His  independence  was  shown  in  his 
cordiality  toward  my  own  discoveries,  which  he  was 
about  to  present  to  the  National  Medical  Association 
when  his  career  was  interrupted  by  death  thirty-one 
years  ago.  The  fact  brought  out  in  the  description  that 
he  was  a  lecturer  but  not  a  practitioner  was  remarkable. 
During  my  acquaintance  of  twenty  years  he  was 
not  engaged  in  practice. 

This  minute  portraiture  and  exact  estimate  of  charac- 
ter by  psychometry  is  a  transcendent  marvel.  In  this 
case  the  description  not  only  portrays  the  man  perfectly 
but  states  exactly  how  he  was  regarded  by  the  leaders 
of  the  profession.  A  man  of  Jess  force  of  character 
would  have  been  unable  to  sustain  himself.  I  would 
be  tempted  to  suspect  that  it  was  assisted  by  thought 
reading  and  owed  its  accuracy  to  my  own  knowledge  of 
the  subject,  did  I  not  know  that  the  opinions  are  equally 
true  when  I  have  no  knowledge  of  the  subject ;  and 
when  letters  come  from  unknown  persons  at  great 
distances  or  specimens  of  writing  are  sent,  her  answers 
are  as  satisfactory  to.,  the  correspondents  as  the  above 


84  Choice  of  Physicians. 

descriptions  are  to  myself.  She  is  never  confined  to 
my  knowledge  of  the  subject  or  to  the  particular  aspect 
it  assumes  in  my  mind.  The  next  description  I  think 
equally  remarkable. 

No.  6  was  described  as  follows  :  — 

"This  is  a  physician  of  scientific  mind,  who  has  made 
a  great  name,  a  very  earnest  student.  It  is  not 
Harvey,  but  he  has  made  some  reformatory  discoveries. 
He  was  not  a  brilliant  man,  but  would  attract  attention 
and  respect.  He  had  to  wade  through  a  great  deal  of 
opposition  before  attaining  his  highest  success.  He 
was  educated  in  the  old  Allopathic  system,  and  became 
disgusted  with  it  and  made  innovations.  Before  he 
passed  away  he  became  a  celebrity,  and  still  he  seems  a 
modest  man.  He  had  a  very  stormy  career — there 
was  so  much  opposition  and  satire  —  all  sorts  of  opposi- 
tion. He  put  his  practice  into  print  and  wrote  books 
on  his  system.  He  introduced  a  system  entirely  and 
radically  new,  which  brought  down  all  possible  violence 
from  the  old  practitioners,  but  he  lived  to  see  the 
benefit  of  his  system. 

(What  was  he  as  a  practitioner  ? )  "  In  the  beginning 
he  felt  unsatisfied  with  what  he  had  been  taught.  He 
would  be  successful  in-  practice  by  his  own  system. 
He  was  skilful  in  diagnosis  and  prescriptions.  He 
cared  more  for  curing  people  than  for  the  emoluments. 
He  was  a  true  physician.  I  think  he  was  the  discoverer 
of  the  infinitesimal  doses." 

This  was  Samuel  Hahnemann,  and  in  this  description 
we  perceive  an  instantaneous  grasp  of  the  whole 
character  and  status  of  the  man.  Sometimes,  as  in  this 
case,  she  seems  to  grasp  the  character  instantaneously, 


Choice  of  Physicians.  85 

especially  when  it  is  congenial,  but  in  others  less  con- 
genial or  easy  to  describe,  she  develops  the  character 
piecemeal  and  acquires  the  summary  estimate  only 
after  studying  its  elements,  so  that  the  preliminary 
portion  of  the  description,  should  be  rejected  as  imper- 
fect. The  description  of  Hahnemann  is  so  perfect  and 
concise  that  it  49  difficult  for  any  one  to  realize  that  she 
did  not  know  of  whom  she  was  speaking.  My  first 
experiments  with  Mr.  Inman  manifested  as  prompt 
and  sometimes  as  delicate  perceptions,  but  I  have  found 
no  one  with  so  complete  and  correct  appreciation  of 
every  character  investigated,  however  peculiar.  Hence, 
I  feel  no  doubt  in  relying  upon  her  judgment  of  persons 
whose  character  is  somewhat  equivocal,  and  of  literary 
or  historical  characters  of  whom  I  wish  to  speak ; 
and  I  feel  safe  in  accepting  her  judgment  of  the 
founders  of  religions  and  the  leaders  in  philosophy. 

HIPPOCRATES   (following  HOMER.) 

"This  is  not  living.  He  is  not  as  ancient  as  Homer 
but  is  an  ancient  scholar  and  writer.  I  think  he  wrote 
on  medical  subjects.  He  was  very  well  versed  in  medi- 
cal science.  He  was  a  man  of  extraordinary  intellect  — 
mental  force.  He  was  a  great  student  of  Nature.  I 
think  he  knew  something  of  hygiene,  but  not  so  much 
as  we  know  to-day.  He  was  a  great  botanist  and 
understood  the  virtues  of  plants  and  trees.  He  wrote 
upon  such  subjects.  He  spent  his  time  in  making 
discoveries  in  the  vegetable  and  mineral  kingdoms. 

"  I  think  he  founded  a  school.  He  understood  the 
human  constitution  —  understood  anatomy  as  well  as  it 
was  known  then.  He  knew  more  than  his  cotempo- 


86  Choice  of  Physicians. 

raries  on  such  subjects.  He  had  a  strong  muscular 
constitution  and  great  will-power. 

(What  do  you  think  of  him  as  a  physician  ?) 

"  I  don't  think  he  understood  surgery.  In  many  of 
his  remedies  there  was  a  want  of  adaptation  to  the 
disease ;  but  he  opened  the  way  for  others  to  follow. 
He  left  it  in  a  crude  state.  He  was  a  practical  man 
guided  by  experience,  mainly,  but  he  had  his  theories. 

(What  of  his  moral  nature  ? ) 

"He  was  a  man  of  good  character  —  not  a  reckless 
man — he  had  a  religious  nature.  He  left  a  good 
reputation.  He  is  referred  to  to-day." 

(If  he  were  here  to-day  what  would  be  his  medical 
policy  ?) 

"  He  would  adopt  the  eclectic  practice." 


CHAPTER  VII. 

PSYCHOMETRY    IN   POLITICS. 

Its  importance  in  filling  high  offices  —  President  Cleveland  an  example 
—  Prophetic  view  of  the  election  as  to  the  four  candidates  — 
Description  of  Gov.  St.  John  — Of  Gen.  Butler  — Of  Mr.  Elaine, 
coincident  with  the  opinions  of  his  opponents  —  Authority  of  Psy- 
chometry  as  a  tribunal  —  Description  of  Gov.  Cleveland,  of  Gen. 
Grant,  of  Samuel  J.  Tildeii  — Method  of  obtaining  the  descriptions  — 
Description  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  and  Josephine  —  Of  Bismark  — 
Of  W.  E.  Gladstone  —  Of  D'Israeli—  Of  Gen.  Grant  in  1885. 

If  the  claims  of  Psychometry  as  the  interpreter  of 
character  are  well  grounded,  it  is  a  far  more  reliable 
guide  than  popular  elections  or  the  choice  of  electoral 
colleges  for  filling  high  offices,  and  when  the  people  of 
the  United  States  become  sufficiently  enlightened  to  be 
guided  by  it,  we  shall  have  a  political  millennium  —  the 
country  being  ruled  by  the  wisest  and  best.  Pope 
says 

"  For  forms  of  government  let  fools  contest 
That  which  is  best  administered  is  best." 

But  the  United  States  having  an  admirable  form  of 
government  already,  the  able  and  wise  administration 
which  Psychometry  might  select  would  be  such  an 
improvement  as  to  be  properly  called  a  political  millen- 
nium. We  are  at  the  present  time  enjoying  a  slight 
intimation  of  what  Psychometry  might  give  us  in  Presi- 
dent Cleveland,  who  was  psychometrkally  indicated  as 
the  proper  man  for  the  Presidency. 

87 


88  Psychometry  in 

During  the  late  Presidential  contest  I  sought  the 
counsel  of  psychometry  several  times  to  determine  for 
myself  what  was  the  comparative  merit  of  the  candidates 
and  what  were  their  prospects  of  success.  A  full  report 
was  made  upon  each  of  the  candidates  and  this  report  I 
read  to  a  public  audience  in  Boston  at  Berkeley  Hall, 
who  received  it  with  much  apparent  approbation.  The 
question  as  to  the  result  of  the  election  was  happily 
answered. 

BLAINE.  —  When  Mr.  Blaine  was  described  my  ques- 
tion was,  "  What  of  his  future  ? "  The  reply  came, 
"  I  think  he  will  go  on  as  he  has.  He  has  the  greatest 
struggle  now  that  he  has  ever  had.  He  has  no  doubt 
of  success.  He  thinks  himself  irresistible  —  but  I 
think  he  will  fail,  something  will  disappoint,  but  I  can't 
see  what,  I  can't  explain.  I  believe  this  must  be 
Blaine,"  which  ended  the  description. 

Gov.  ST.  JOHN'S  concluded  as  follows :  "  I  believe  he 
will  establish  a  permanent  and  powerful  party,  and  his 
career  for  the  rest  of  his  life  will  be  very  successful,  but 
he  will  never  be  president." 

GEN.  BUTLER  was  described  as  "aiming  for  office 
with  a  nomination  for  it,  but  I  don't  think  he  will 
succeed.  ...  He  will  live  many  years  yet,  and  has  a 
good  chance  to  hold  some  prominent  office  again,  but 
he  will  never  be  higher  than  governor." 

Of  Gov.  CLEVELAND — after  an  accurate  description 
had  been  given,  I  asked  "  Is  he  a  candidate?"  Reply, 
"  I  think  he  is,  from  the  excitement  connected  with 
him." 

(If  he  is  a  candidate,  what  seems  to  be  the  probable 
result  —  does  he  anticipate  success?)  "I  think  he 


Politics.  89 

s — he  does  not  care  a  great  deal  about  it,  but  for 
the  principles  of  his  party.  Unless  some  great  wrong 
is  clone,  I  think  he  may  be  elected  really  and  honestly, 
but  how  much  fraud  may  come  in  I  cannot  see.  There 
will  be  a  terrible  time  in  this  election.  There  is  a 
secret  organization  the  people  do  not  dream  of  for  the 
purpose  of  defeating  this  man.  It  will  be  the  most 
corrupt  canvass  ever  known  in  this  country.  Still  his 
chances  are  good,  but  I  cannot  be  certain.  Is  it  Cleve- 
land ?  "  ("  It  is.")  "  If  the  election  is  fair  he  will  have 
the  majority,  but  there  is  an  underground  force  against 
him." 

Thus  the  description  was  emphatically  against  the 
success  of  each  of  the  other  three  candidates  when  they 
were  investigated  separately  and  emphatically  in  favor 
of  Cleveland's  election  if  not  interfered  with  by  a 
fraudulent  conspiracy  of  which  she  psychometrically 
recognized  the  existence,  and  of  which  the  public  saw 
some  indication  in  the  animus  of  the  contending  par- 
ties. She  did  not  say  that  the  conspiracy  would  be 
successful,  but  expressed  an  apprehension  what  was  cer- 
tainly well  founded.  These  impressions  were  confirmed 
by  other  psychometers  of  less  reputation. 

As  to  the  character  and  fitness  of  each  of  the  candi- 
dates I  obtained  an  accurate  report.  The  following  is 
the  description  of 

GOV.  ST.  JOHN. 

"This  an  entirely  different  character — nothing  like 
Blaine.  It  is  a  man  of  quiet  unobtrusive  nature  com- 
pared to  Blaine  —  not  pretentious  or  overbearing.  He 
is  a  man  of  good  impulses  and  good  principles,  also 


90  PsycJiomctry  in 

good  judgment.  He  is  an  intellectual  man  —  a  man  of 
sterling  qualities. 

"  I  would  not  call  him  a  trimmer,  but  he  has  a  good  deal 
of  policy  and  approbativeness  —  would  do  some  things 
for  effect.  He  is  an  aspirant  for  office.  He  has  .bright 
dreams  for  the  future.  He  seems  to  have  a  good  deal 
of  repose  of  character.  He  is  not  a  very  magnetic  man. 
He  could  win  friends  more  by  his  seeming  generosity, 
but  he  is  not  fond  of  display. 

"He  would  like  an  office  for  its  emoluments  and 
eclat,  and  he  is  a  party  man.  He  would  work  for  his 
party,  but  there  is  a  principle  in  it.  He  thinks  his 
party  is  right  and  he  would  not  work  for  a  party  that 
was  not  right. 

" There  is  a  retirement  in  his  nature.  He  does  not 
really  desire  to  be  forced  into  politics,  but  he  is.  Possi- 
bly he  is  one  of  the  candidates,  I  think  he  is.  (For 
what  is  he  a  candidate  ? )  It  is  not  for  governor,  he  is 
one  of  the  candidates  for  president.  He  has  held  some 
office  —  possibly  he  has  been  governor. 

"This  man  is  not  understood.  He  has  better  quali- 
ties than  he  is  reported  to  have  by  his  opponents,  but 
he  is  not  very  sensitive  to  public  opinion  and  can 
defend  himself  when  necessary.  He  would  be  a  good 
lawyer.  He  stirs  up  the  thinking  people,  the  judicious 
people  —  not  the  rabble. 

(Q. —  What  are  his  principles?) 

"  He  is  a  humanitarian.  If  fortunate  enough  to  become 
President,  he  would  make  a  good  one.  He  would 
astonish  the  nation  and  do  away  with  a  good  deal  of  the 
folly  at  Washington.  He  is  not  a  showy  man,  does  not 
care  for  show.  I  might  call  him  a  democrat 


Politics.  91 

(Q. —  What  are  the  most  important  principles  he  is 
concerned  in  ?) 

"  He  is  an  equal  rights  man  and  would  give  suffrage 
to  women.  He  is  very  much  interested  in  the  latter 
question  and  in  prohibition.  I  don't  see  wha£  he  thinks 
of  the  tariff  question. 

"  I  believe  he  will  establish  a  permanent  party,  and 
his  career  for  the  rest  of  his  life  will  be  very  success- 
ful though  he  will  never  be  president." 

GEN.  BUTLER  was  described  as  follows  : — 

"  He  is  a  person  of  research,  who  would  have  the 
capacity  of  making  great  researches.  He  would  have 
succeeded  well  as  an  antiquarian. 
*"He  seems  a  stout  man,  pretty  well  advanced  in  life, 
older  than  he  looks  to  be.  He  has  a  very  brilliant 
intellect  and  large  brain.  He  has  cultured  his  intellect 
and  exercised  his  mental  powers  greatly  though  he  does 
not  seem  a  literary  man.  He  has  turned  his  mind 
greatly  to  the  accumulation  of  wealth. 

"  He  would  have  succeeded  in  the  clerical  or  medical 
profession,  and  it  would  have  suited  his  nature  better, 
but  his  inclination  has  been  diverted  and  he  has  engaged 
in  politics  and  legal  practice.  He  is  successful  as  a 
lawyer  and  has  good  practical  ability.  He  possesses  a 
great  deal  of  zeal  and  throws  his  whole  soul  into  what- 
ever he  undertakes  to  do,  and  is  a  pugnacious  man. 

"He  aims  high,  desires  a  high  position  and  works 
for  it.  He  has  very  good  oratorical  powers,  and  is  very 
clear  in  statement  and  throws  a  good  deal  of  magnetism 
over  his  hearers.  He  has  wit  and  sarcasm. 

"This  man  is  not  really  understood.  It  is  hard  to 
make  people  understand  him.  His  course  excites  preju- 


g2  Psychometry  in 

dice  and  envy.  He  has  many  good  impulses  but  is  not 
uniform  in  his  purposes  —  does  not  always  carry  them 
out  systematically  and  in  order.  In  the  past  there  have 
been  breaks  in  his  life  work,  some  sort  of  change  or 
interruptions.  He  has  lent  himself  to  the  influence  of 
party  and  mistakes  in  this  way  which  have  obscured 
him  for  a  time. 

"  He  seems  to  have  an  independent  set  of  principles 
which  belong  to  himself  and  seem  original.  He  wants 
to  hold  to  his  principles  and  yet  hold  on  to  the  influence 
of  party  and  is  something  of  a  trimmer,  but  does  not 
lose  sight  of  his  principles. 

"He  seems  destined  to  wield  considerable  power  in 
this  country.  He  has  already  made  himself  a  name  in 
some  way.  I  think  he  has  a  war  record.  He  would 
favor  the  people  of  the  working  classes.  He  seems 
identified  with  them. 

"He  is  deeply  interested  in  the  present  canvass  — 
aiming  for  office  with  a  nomination  for  it,  but  I  don't 
think  he  will  succeed.  He  will  not  be  a  success  in 
what  he  is  aiming  at.  Those  whom  he  considers  his 
friends  will  not  support  him  as  he  expects.  For  some 
reason  he  will  not  be  able  to  hold  them.  But  he  will 
have  a  career.  He  will  keep  the  people  stirred  up.  He 
will  live  many  years  yet,  and  has  a  good  chance  to  hold 
some  prominent  office  but  he  will  never  be  higher  than 
governor." 

Of  MR.  BLAINE  the  description  was  powerful  and 
graphic.  It  was  admired  as  a  descriptive  sketch  for  its 
close  and  unmistakable  fidelity,  but  I  have  decided  not 
to  insert  it  in  this  volume.  I  offered  it  to  a  Boston 
editor  after  the  election  and  he  expressed  unwillingness 


Politics.  93 

to  publish  anything  which  would  revive  the  unpleasant 
memories  of  the  recent  contest  in  which  his  friends 
had  been  much  divided.  For  a  similar  reason  I  shall 
omit  it,  though  I  esteem  it  a  splendid  illustration  of 
psychometry.  It  embodied  the  same  views  of  Mr. 
Blaine  which  were  expressed  and  illustrated  by  his 
political  opponents  and  the  persons  who  had  been 
intimately  acquainted  with  him  but  independent  enough 
to  resist  his  influence.  It  was  a  thorough  vindication  of 
the  independent  Republican  movement  prompted  by  his 
moral  obliquities  which  saved  our  country  from  a  politi- 
cal calamity.  It  was  remarked  by  Senator  Wadleigh 
soon  after  the  beginning  of  Cleveland's  administration, 
that  he  had  found  no  one  who  regretted  having  voted 
for  Cleveland  but  many  who  regretted  their  vote  for 
Blaine.  Psychometry  expressed  in  this  as  in  other 
cases  the  verdict  of  the  enlightened  —  the  verdict  of 
public  opinion  after  the  excitement  of  the  hour  has 
subsided  —  describing  his  remarkable  abilities,  his 
magnetic  control  of  men,  his  remarkable  career,  and  his 
final  failure,  with  the  opinion  that  "he  would  be  a 
dangerous  man  in  power." 

There  is  no  better  method  than  the  psychometric  of 
settling  the  debated  questions  that  disturb  society,  and 
listening  in  advance  to  the  voice  of  posterity.  In  the 
realm  of  divine  intuition  time  is  no  barrier  —  past  and 
future  are  comprehended  in  the  eternal  Now. 

I  have  not  failed  to  appeal  to  this  power  in  reference 
to  my  own  labors.  Vanity  and  enthusiasm  may 
deceive  us,  but  psychometry  may  be  the  telephone  of 
future  ages,  and  fortified  by  their  voice  we  can  ignore 


94  Psychometry  in 

with  equal  ease  the  vulgar  sentiment  of  the  rabble  and 
the  pedantic  assumptions  of  collegiate  ignorance. 

I  have  weighed  in  the  balance  of  Psychometry  the 
claims  not  only  of  our  own  public  men,  but  of  men  of 
other  countries  and  times,  whom  I  was  interested  to 
understand,  and  believe  that  I  see  them  clearly,  unhin- 
dered by  the  thick  mists  of  history.  In  reference  to 
Mr.  Elaine,  I  have  submitted  his  character  to  some  of 
my  psychometric  pupils  hoping  that  its  dark  shades 
might  be  softened  by  some  one,  but  on  the  contrary 
the  darker  aspects  of  his  character  were  stated  in  still 
more  emphatic  language. 

GOV.   CLEVELAND. 

Of  Gov.  Cleveland  the  following  description  was  given 
and  was  confirmed  by  other  psychometers. 

"It  seems  a  person  in  prominent  position  at  the 
present  time.  There  is  not  much  bluster  about  him, 
not  much  self-conceit.  I  think  he  is  modest. 

"He  has  dignity  of  character,  and  seems  to  have  an 
inborn  sensitiveness.  I  feel  like  going  into  his  soul 
nature.  He  is  a  thinking  man.  He  has  a  great  deal 
of  nobility  of  character  —  is  not  at  all  selfish  but  is 
sometimes  imprudent  in  small  things.  (I  do  not  mean 
in  business  life.)  In  business  he  is  a  good  man,  wholly 
reliable  and  trustworthy,  and  of  exceedingly  just  princi- 
ples. He  seems  to  have  a  high  sense  of  his  moral 
obligations.  He  is  not  ostentatious.  He  has  a  keen 
sense  of  his  own  abilities,  and  would  not  undertake 
anything  unless  he  knew  he  could  fill  the  requirements. 
What  he  does  he  does  well,  no  matter  what  it  is.  He 
is  not  lax  in  doing  things.  He  looks  high  but  has  not 


Politics.  95 

any  particular  aim  as  to  his  own  aggrandizement  —  he  is 
not  a  vain  man. 

"  He  holds  a  high  position  now,  possibly  in  the  politi- 
cal world." 

(g. —  What  of  his  past  and  future  ? ) 

"  I  am  looking  at  the  man  and  am  attracted  to  his 
domestic  nature.  He  has  great  filial  love.  There  does 
not  seem  to  be  much  domesticity  about  him.  He  don't 
seem  to  have  had  time  to  cultivate  domestic  life.  His 
life  has  been  filled  with  work  or  duties  that  precluded 
domestic  life. 

"  He  is  a  comfortable  looking  man,  as  if  the  affairs  of 
the  world  did  not  trouble  him  much.  He  is  conscien- 
tious, very  scrupulous  and  nice  in  his  transactions. 

"I  do  not  see  any  generalship.  He  never  had  a 
military  career,  he  seems  like  a  citizen.  He  has  an 
army  of  friends.  He  is  a  hard  and  close  worker." 

(g. —  What  are  his  domestic  relations?) 

"I  don't  see  any  domestic  life  around  him.  He  has 
appreciation  of  women,  but  I  see  no  family  around  him. 
His  life  in  that  respect  is  like  the  average  of  men.  I 
don't  think  his  associations  would  lead  him  to 
abandoned  women.  He  is  not  a  young  man,  and  he 
might  have  had  some  unpleasant  relations  with  women 
in  early  life  like  other  men,  but  he  is  not  a  bad  man  in 
any  way. 

"A  great  many  people  envy  him,  they  don't  wish  to 
do  him  any  bodily  injury ;  but  would  like  to  defame  him 
if  they  could. 

"He  would  be  a  splendid  manager.  He  has  great 
ability  for  managing  large  things  —  has  great  foresight, 


(}6  Psychometry  in 

shrewdness  and  keen  judgment.  He  seems  now  like  a 
statesman  but  not  a  diplomatic  man." 

(Q. —  How  would  you  like  to  place  him  ? ) 

"He  could  conduct  the  affiairs  of  a  nation  with  a 
good  deal  of  system  and  do  honor  to  the  position.  If 
the  people  should  nominate  him  and  place  him  in  the 
White  House,  it  woqld  be  the  best  thing  for  the  country. 
He  seems  much  like  President  Buchanan  as  a  dignified 
gentleman.  He  would  give  dignity  to  the  position 
better  than  any  one  who  has  been  there  for  years.  I 
begin  to  think  this  is  Gov.  Cleveland.  He  seems  to 
have  some  relation  to  the  White  House." 

(Q. —  Is  he  a  candidate  ? ) 

"I  think  he  is  from  the  excitement  connected  with 
him." 

(Q. —  If  he  is  a  candidate  what  seems  to  be  the 
probable  result —  does  he  anticipate  success?) 

"I  think  he  does  —  he  does  not  care  a  great  deal 
about  it  but  for  the  principles  of  his  party.  Unless 
some  great  wrong  is  done  I  think  he  will  be  elected 
really  and  honestly,  but  how  much  fraud  may  come  in  I 
cannot  see.  There  will  be  a  terrible  time  this  election. 
There  is  a  secret  organization,  the  people  do  not  dream 
of  for  the  purpose  ef  defeating  this  man.  It  will  be  the 
most  corrupt  canvass  ever  known  in  this  country.  Still 
his  chances  are  good,  but  I  cannot  be  certain.  Is  it 
Cleveland?" 

(A.—  It  is.) 

"If  the  election  is  fair  he  will  have  the  majority,  but 
there  is  an  underground  force  against  him.  I  have  not 
said  half  I  might  say  of  his  intcior  character." 


Politics.  97 

GEN.  GRANT. 

(After  the  description  of  Alexander  of  Russia,  Dec. 
26,  1879.) 

"  This  character  is  more  humane  —  not  so  tyrannical. 
He  trusts  to  his  own  judgment.  He  has  greater  ability 
for  conducting  military  campaigns,  and  would  have  more 
humane  feelings.  He  would  surrender  a  claim  sooner 
than  shed  much  blood.  He  does  not  love  war,  would 
seek  peace,  but  would  not  be  considered  a  coward. 

"  He  is  a  pillar  of  strength.  He  holds  power  individ- 
ually—  it  is  innate." 

(What  has  been  his  career?) 

"  He  has  advanced  by  degrees  as  stepping  stones. 
He  is  far-seeing,  far-reaching.  He  has  a  great  ambition, 
likes  to  rule.  His  ambition  has  been  gratified.  He 
has  held  a  high  position  as  a  ruler,  but  is  dethroned  — 
is  not  in  power  now.  He  would  not  be  averse  to 
making  his  mark  again  in  war.  His  ambition  is  not 
dead.  He  aims  at  political  power,  seeks  it  by  his 
emissaries-  or  friends  who  adhere  to  him.  He  could 
command  all  the  money  he  would  need.  He  is  not 
making  it  manifest,  but  waiting  developments,  expecting 
and  prepared." 

(Will  his  anticipations  be  fulfilled  ? ) 

"  I  fear  not  to  his  entire  satisfaction,  that  he  will  not 
attain  as  much  as  he  wishes.  He  feels  sad.  He  would 
like  to  be  on  the  same  pedestal  as  before,  and  promises 
to  himself  tc  rule  in  a  different  way  —  more  humanita- 
rian, but  he  fears  disappointment.  I  feel  that  it  is 
doubtful.  If  war  takes  place  he  would  be  brought 
forwaid,  but  1  think  he  will  be  disappointed  in  attaining 


98  Psychometry  in 

the  position  he  had   before.      There  will  be   rivalry. 
Rivals  will  leave  nothing  undone  to  defeat  him." 
(Look  to  the  future  for  a  few  years  ? ) 
"  I  see  in  the  future  pleasant  surroundings,  a  charm- 
ing landscape,  happiness  and  content  are  there." 
(What  is  the  cause  or  the  source  of  his  power?) 
"I  think  he  has  inspiration.     He  has   through  his 
lineage  spirits  that  come  and  take  possession  of  him  — 
old  spirits  —  Jewish  some  of  them." 

(From  which  parent  did  he  derive  this  ? ) 
"From  his  mother.  He  is  clairvoyant  but  does  not 
know  it.  Ideas  come  to  him  that  surprise  him,  he  has 
prophetic  ideas.  He  does  not  show  out  as  many  do  but 
has  an  interior  nature.  He  has  great  determination 
and  courage,  does  not  know  fear,  has  great  hopes." 

SAMUEL  J.   TILDEN   (Sept.  4,    18/9). 

"This  is  a  male  person,  and  one  who  figures  or  has 
figured  extensively  and  is  well  known.  He  might 
possibly  over-reach  himself,  but  he  is  cautious  and 
methodical.  He  adjusts  things  very  nicely,  he  is  quite 
adroit. 

"  He  does  not  seem  to  be  one  who  has  figured  in  the 
literary  world  or  as  an  author,  but  is  intellectually  great 
and  looked  up  to.  He  writes  a  great  deal  and  has  an 
extensive  correspondence. 

"He  occupies  or  has  occupied  a  very  high  position  in 
life,  and  would  make  a  great  many  firm  friends  and  has 
many  enemies.  His  attributes  of  character  do  not 
make  men  hate  him,  but  he  is  bold  and  would  make 
enemies. 

"  He  wields  or  has  wielded  power  though  not  at  all 


Politics.  99 

military,  but  is  a  man  of  the  people  —  a  politician  and  a 
strong  one.  He  does  not  mean  to  be  a  trickster,  but 
persons  would  sometimes  construe  him  as  one.  He 
acts  from  his  best  impulses  and  what  seems  to  him 
right.  He's  not  absolutely  selfish,  but  not  a  humanita. 
rian,  he  never  took  part  in  any  humanitarian  movement, 
but  in  case  of  suffering  would  give  willingly.  He 
does  not  embrace  advanced  ideas,  but  is  genial  with  his 
friends. 

"He  would  acquire  wealth  and  has  acquired  it,  but  is 
not  a  Vanderbilt  or  Stewart.  I  feel  that  he  has  held 
high  position  in  a  political  career.  He  aims  at  the 
highest  office  that  could  be  offered  him,  and  likes  popu- 
larity for  the  sake  of  carrying  his  points.  To  some  he 
is  agreeable,  but  to  others  he  is  cold  and  reserved,  but 
is  popular  with  many  friends.  Yet  there  are  many 
who  are  adverse  to  him  and  do  not  wish  to  se^him 
elevated.  They  regard  him  with  jealousy  and  fear- 
They  misconceive  him  and  blame  his  acts  which  he 
considers  right. 

"  In  political  matters  he  would  not  be  a  philanthropist 
but  a  politician,  yet  he  would  be  strict  and  discreet  and 
disappoint  his  enemies  at  the  same  time  sticking  to  his 
principles.  He  would  show  more  greatness  if  he  had 
the  opportunity  of  the  high  office  he  desires,  and  would 
disappoint  his  enemies. 

"  He  is  naturally  selfish  in  business  and  would  con- 
sider self  chiefly.  He  has  great  will-power  and  thinks 
a  great  deal  of  himself  but  I  don't  think  he  is  dishonest. 
He  could  be  trusted.  He  would  not  go  to  work  to 
carry  on  *a  fraud  but  would  look  sharply  to  advance  his 
own  interests.  He  would  oppose  fraud  and  try  to  bring 


loo  Psychometry  in 

it  to  light  for  the  public  good,  even  if  his  friends  were 
in  the  fraud.  He  would  dare  to  expose  them,  for  he  is 
fearless  and  aims  high,  having  great  ambition.  He  is 
cunning  and  adjusts  his  decisions  and  speeches  to  the 
question  of  popularity. 

"  He  has  large  hopes  and  is  not  to  be  disheartened, 
and  will  work  to  carry  his  aim,  having  much  power  over 
others,  but  there  are  too  many  obstacles  for  his  political 
success." 

These  portraitures  of  public  men  may  be  read  by 
many  to  whom  Psychometry  is  unfamiliar,  and  who 
would  have  great  difficulty  in  realizing  that  any  one  can 
give  so  accurate  a  description  of  a  person  of  whom  they 
knew  nothing  before,  and  whom  they  describe  merely 
by  listening  to  the  inner  voice  of  intuition,  guided  by 
the  impressions  coming  through  the  fingers  without  the 
slightest  intimation  whom  the  person  may  be  —  whether 
male  or  female,  young  or  old,  living  or  dead,  honorable 
or  criminal,  gifted  or  •idiotic.  Such  persons  must  by 
force  of  habit  suspect  that  in  some  way  the  psychome- 
ter  received  some  hint  or  was  guided  by  leading  ques- 
tions, or  saw  something  to  guide  the  mind  in  a  picture 
or  autograph.  I  can  only  assure  them  that  no  such 
hints  or  assistance  have  been  tolerated,  that  the  thing 
described  is  always  kept  invisible,  that  leading  questions 
are  carefully  avoided,  and  that  sometimes  descriptions 
are  given  without  a  single  question  being  asked. 
Knowing  the  reliability  of  psychometry  I  am  very 
careful  to  avoid  anything  which  could  influence  the 
imagination  or  make  any  impression  on  the  mind,  as 
such  impression  might  tend  to  impair  the  photographic 
accuracy  of  psychometry.  An  opinion  may  be  given  of 


Politics.  10 1 

one  whom  she  knows,  but  the  probability  is  that  it 
would  not  be  as  searching,  accurate,  and  impartial  as 
if  all  knowledge  had  been  excluded. 

To  very  skeptical  minds  all  evidence  loses  its  value 
when  it  concerns  matters  beyond  the  range  of  their 
experience  and  contrary  to  their  fixed  opinions.  Such 
persons  can  learn  only  by  their  personal  experience, 
and  therefore  when  I  assure  them  that  we  have  in  the 
United  States  a  hundred  thousand  persons  in  whom 
psychometrical  power  can  be  developed,  they  may 
realize  that  perhaps  I  am  not  indulging  in  delusions  but 
simply  dispelling  a  vast  amount  of  ignorance  which 
pervades  our  literature,  science,  and  collegiate  instruc- 
tion. 

NAPOLEON  BONAPARTE  (Dec.  14,  l88o). 

"This  is  a  spirit.  There's  more  warmth  in  this 
brain  than  in  Swedenborg's.  It  gives  me  great  fulness 
of  the  whole  forehead.  He  was  full  of  intellect  —  his 
brain  was  a  great  workshop. 

"  He  was  a  self-made  man  —  had  no  great  advantages 
in  youth.  It  was  not  till  he  arrived  at  manhood  that  he 
got  into  the  sphere  nature  intended.  He  studied 
very  hard  and  came  out  a  self-reliant  man  of  genius. 
Growing  out  of  books  he  threw  away  authors  and  dis- 
approved of  others  opinions  generally. 

"  He  seems  to  stand  alone.  He  did  not  identify  him- 
self with  any  religious  or  political  sect,  but  stood 
isolated.  He  felt  like  breaking  up  the  old  systems  and 
traditions.  Nothing  would  suit  him  better  than  to  rush 
on  and  demolish  the  past.  He  did  not  believe  in  tradi- 
tions or  the  Bible ;  he  was  skeptical. 


IO2  Psychometry  in 

"  He  seems  somewhat  philanthropic  for  the  public 
good  and  philosophized  in  that  direction.  He  was 
industrious  and  energetic,  singular  in  deportment, 
careless  in  his  habits.  Society  rather  feared  him.  He 
was  not  popular  except  with  a  few  friends.  He  was 
regardless  as  to  people's  opinions.  He  did  not  covet 
riches,  but  loved  fame,  power  and  popularity.  He 
attained  distinction.  He  could  rouse  great  interest  in 
himself  and  obtain  great  applause.  -  He  could  talk  well. 

"He  never  was  quiet.  He  delighted  to  break  up  the 
old  order,  though  I  would  not  call  him  a  disorganizer. 
He  was  ambitious  to  be  known  as  a  leader  in  politics. 
If  he  could  get  the  supreme  authority  he  would  not 
hesitate  to  do  dark  deeds.  I  don't  know  that  he  would 
murder,  but  he  would  commit  crimes." 

(How  does  he  compare  with  Caesar  ? ) 

"I  do  not  like  him  as  well  as  Caesar.  He  has  not  the 
same  grandeur  of  character.  His  love  of  power  would 
lead  him  to  do  things  Caesar  would  not  have  done.  He 
would  undermine  friendships.  He  had  great  secretive- 
ness  and  employed  spies  and  did  many  things  that  were 
not  just.  He  would  betray  a  trust.  His  love  of  fame 
and  power  overpowered  his  better  qualities. 

"He  had  considerable  love,  but  more  of  lust.  He 
loved  women  and  they  liked  him.  He  had  a  command- 
ing power  over  women  —  irresistible. 

"  In  private  life  he  might  be  truthful  and  honorable, 
but  in  everything  that  concerned  ambition  he  was 
unscrupulous  and  not  to  be  trusted.  He  was  a  skilful 
liar. 

"  After  all  he  had  a  love  of  flattery  and  did  not  try  to 
see  through  it.  He  was  really  great  and  grew  in  power 


Politics.  103 

naturally.  He  had  military  skill  on  sea  and  land.  He 
was  not  a  mere  general  but  a  commander-in-chief  of 
armies.  He  cared  not  how  anything  was  done  if  it  was 
done.  He  was  very  successful  and  a  great  conqueror, 
but  after  all  was  not  satisfied.  His  latter  years  were 
passed  in  seclusion.  He  looked  at  his  past  as  being  all 
vanity. 

"  He  loved  more  than  one.  He  had  control  of  women 
—  mistresses.  He  loved  his  first  wife  and  always 
respected  her  more.  There  was  one  woman  who  was 
equal  to  any  emergency.  She  seemed  to  control  him 
or  keep  him  in  his  place  —  a  mistress  perhaps.  She 
had  a  high  temper. 

"He  was  a  benefit  to  the  world,  for  he  was  a  grand 
mover,  stimulated  people,  .brought  out  their  energies. 

"His  character  is  not  to  be  admired.  He  has  a 
similar  character  in  the  spirit  world,  but  he  would  be  a 
different  man  now,  a  powerful  spirit.  His  grand  work 
now  would  be  to  apply  his  great  ideas  to  philanthropy. 
His  first  wife  instructs  him  now. 

JOSEPHINE  (Oct.  19,  1880). 

"  This  is  a  woman  —  a  character  noted  for  gentleness 
and  humane  qualities.  Her  deeds  shone  out  in  great 
brightness,  she  was  a  humanitarian. 

"  She  is  not  living  now.  Was  she  not  the  wife  of  a 
king  ? "  (Yes.)  "  Her  subjects  adored  her  for  her  many 
grand  qualities.  She  had  a  troubled  life,  not  caused  by 
herself  or  her  own  acts.  Had  she  not  some  trouble 
with  her  husband  ? "  (Yes.)  "  I  feel  that  he  was  tyran- 
nical and  cruel.  He  was  not  careful  of  her  nature  or 
about  wounding  her  feelings.  He  could  not  appreciate 


IO4  Psychometry  in 

her  love  and  tenderness.  There  is  a  warring  element 
here.  She  had  some  deep  sorrow  in  her  life.  There 
was  a  spirit  of  turbulence  and  jealousy  about  her  —  it 
seemed  like  a  conspiracy  in  which  women  were  con- 
cerned and  her  husband's  tyranny  and  jealousy. 

"Her  best  talents  from  nature  were  never  fully 
developed  in  consequence  of  her  marriage.  It  was  not 
a  love  marriage. 

"  She  was  religious  and  devotional.  She  had  the 
capacity  in  society  to  attract  always  distinguished 
personages.  She  did  not  always  seek  them,  but  loved 
the  people  and  helped  the  unfortunate.  She  was  noted 
for  her  benevolent  sympathetic  nature. 

"In  her  love  she  would  compare  with  Cleopatra 
though  less  voluptuous.  She  had  great  power  of  attrac- 
tion for  men  of  the  highest  rank  and  literary  men.  She 
was  fond  of  art.  She  would  not  rule  with  as  much 
force  as  Cleopatra ;  her  disposition  was  more  amiable, 
not  so  wilful." 

(Was  she  an  authoress  ?) 

"  She  could  have  been,  she  had  the  ability,  but  I  don't 
think  she  was. 

"Her  taking  off  was  rather  unnatural.  Was  not 
there  a  separation  from  her  husband  ?  She  suffered 
terribly  from  jealousy. 

"Now  she  is  all  right  —  brilliant — her  whole  nature 
free,  and  would  seem  changed  but  not  so,  only  devel- 
oped fully.  She  takes  a  great  interest  in  social  ques- 
tions. She  is  not  in  the  same  work  as  her  husband. 
He  is  not  her  spirit  mate  unless  he  has  changed  greatly. 
They  come  together  because  she  is  developing  him  but 
they  are  not  spiritually  mated.  She  is  very  fresh  and 


Politics.  105 

youthful — very  impulsive  much  like  Serafina.  She 
has  great  dignity  but  simplicity.  All  her  acts  are  char- 
acterized by  gentleness  and  simplicity.  She  never 
repelled  any  one.  She  seems  like  a  Spanish  or  Greek  or 
Roman  character." 

BISMARCK   (Jan.   3,   1880). 

"  This  is  a  male.  He  desires  to  wield  power  —  would 
like  to  attain  eminence  without  chicanery  (this  remark 
was  in  contrast  to  a  politician  previously  described)  by 
his  ability.  He  don't  want  any  bombast  or  false  state- 
ments. 

"  He  holds  an  office  of  some  kind  and  of  great  power 
—  immense  power,  in  state  affairs.  His  word  is  re- 
spected. He  is  naturally  authoritative  and  dogmatic 
but  modifies  this  appearance  by  his  policy  and  by  some 
wit  or  humor." 

(Q.     What  are  his  leading  motives  ?) 

"His  motives  are  selfish  —  self  first  —  the  public 
next.  He  is  not  philanthropic  but  patriotic. 

"He  has  a  great  brain  —  a  remarkable  insight  into 
governmental  affairs,  their  rights  and  wrongs.  He  is  a 
great  statesman  in  high  position.  He  is  jealous  of 
Russian  power  and  despotism.  People  from  his  country 
are  under  Russian  rule." 

PRINCE  BISMARCK  OF  GERMANY. 

The  foregoing  words  unseen  in  the  hands  of  the  Mrs. 
B,  (April  29,  1885)  elicited  the  following: 

•'This  is  a  very  bright  active  mind  —  seems  to  be 
ever  on  the  alert.  There  is  a  peculiar  keenness  about 
this  character.  It  is  an  exceedingly  adroit  mind  —  pen- 


106  Psychometry  in 

etrating  and  far-seeing.  It  seems  like  something  I 
have  read  before  (She  had  described  Bismarck  some 
years  previously). 

"I  think  it  is  a  man.  There  are  many  strides  in  his 
life,  or  epochs.  He  has  lulls  and  then  goes  on  and 
makes  his  mark.  I  cannot  express  all  that  I  perceive. 
This  character  does  not  require  pushing.  He  has  so 
much  spontaneity,  he  is  ready  and  alert  when  called  on. 
I  should  not  be  surprised  if  he  is  a  military  man  —  he 
understands  military  operations. 

"  He  is  a  diplomatic  man.  I  don't  think  he  would 
favor  war,  or  willingly  engage  in  it.  He  would  not  en- 
gage in  war  on  account  of  prestige,  but  would  use  a 
different  policy,  and  endeavor  to  settle  difficulties,  so 
that  the  governments  could  feel  that  they  had  not 
yielded  or  conceded.  His  policy  has  great  ingenuity 
and  skill.  Is  he  a  general  or  something  higher — he 
seems  something  higher  in  command  than  a  general. 
He  has  a  great  deal  of  friendliness  in  his  nature  toward 
his  friends  and  honorable  opponents." 

(How  does  he  exercise  his  power  ?) 

"  He  is  commanding  —  much  depends  upon  his  word. 
He  has  a  power  like  an  emperor  or  president,  but  has 
not  as  strong  a  control  of  the  government  as  he  would 
like.  His  principles  altogether  are  not  just  what  you 
would  consider  correct,  but  he  is  disposed  to  be  benevo- 
lent and  not  in  any  way  revengeful  or  cruel.  He  has 
good  sympathies  —  is  a  sympathetic  man  when  called 
out  and  has  some  sentiments  of  devotion.  He  might  be 
called  a  religious  man.  He  exercises  his  authority  by 
speech  as  much  as  any  other  way  —  he  addresses  his 
people.  His  delivery  is  clear,  deep  and  fervid  —  not 


Politics  107 

boisterous  or  loud.  If  he  is  engaged  in  war,  it  would  be 
more  defensive  than  aggressive." 

(What  is  his  nationality  ?) 

"  He  seems  like  a  German.  He  is  a  great  statesman. 
He  has  great  diplomacy.  I  am  sure  I  know  who  it  is.'' 

(What  are  his  views  as  to  war  between  England  and 
Russia  ?) 

"He  will  make  an  effort  to  avert  it  though  he  looks 
upon  it  as  a  foregone  conclusion.  He  has  been  watch, 
ing  this  thing  a  long  time.  In  his  real  sentiments  he 
sympathizes  with  England,  but  it  would  not  do  to  show 
his  feelings,  as  he  wishes  to  avert  it.  It  would  give  him 
great  pain  to  see  these  nations  go  into  war.  I  must 
tell  you  this  is  Bismarck.  He  is  not  indifferent  as  to 
the  war.  Both  nations  have  respect  for  him.  He  can. 
not  remain  indifferent.  I  think  even  now  he  is  maturing 
some  plans  to  secure  peace.  He  feels  that  it  is  not  al- 
together under  his  control  I  feel  that  he  is  not  at  rest 
—  he  is  using  his  pen  at  this  time.  [At  that  moment  it 
was  about  one  o'clock  P.  M.  at  Berlin]. 

"He  has  had  much  controversy  on  this  subject,  as  to 
the  plans  of  negotiation  and  the  management  of  the 
army  —  not  with  the  emperor  who  favors  peace,  but 
others.  There  is  a  class  in  Germany  who  would  like  to 
see  war  —  not  a  large  element  nor  of  the  best  classes." 

(How  does  he  compare  with  Gladstone  ?) 

"Gladstone  is  more  cool  and  deliberate  and  more  phil- 
anthropic —  I  like  him  best.  Bismarck  is  more  diplo- 
matic and  authoritative." 

W.   E.   GLADSTONE. 

The  first  psychometric  investigation  of  Mr.  Gladstone 


Io8  Psychometry  in 

by  Mrs.  B,  at  New  York,  Sept.  25,  1882,  was  published 
as  follows  in  a  London  journal,  with  the  editorial  re- 
mark, "  Mrs.  Buchanan's  psychometry  seems  to  be  of 
a  wonderful  character.  There  is  an  incisive  grasp 
about  the  delineation  of  Mr.  Gladstone,  which  carries 
conviction  of  truth  with  it." 

DESCRIPTION. 

"  I  feel  so  much  power  and  activity  of  brain  !  So  very 
clear  and  cautious  !  It  seems  to  me  this  is  a  man  that 
holds  a  great  deal  of  power  at  this  present  time ;  one 
who  is  swaying  the  public  mind. 

"This  man  is  remarkably  far-sighted,  shrewd,  and  ex- 
ecutive—  a  tactician,  or  one  who  has  great  tact. 

"  I  feel  so  much  heat  in  the  blood !  This  man's  brain 
is  so  intense ;  a  man  could  not  live  with  such  intensity 
all  the  time  —  but  he  is  living,  and  will  live. 

"I  feel  that  he  is  ruling  —  a  great  ruling  power,  like 
generalship  —  not  as  king,  or  emperor,  but  guiding 
and  directing.  He  is  full  of  courage,  but  does  not  aim 
at  the  aggrandizement  of  personal  ambition.  He  seems 
like  a  man  whose  ambition  would  lead  him  to  benevo- 
lent designs  —  not  benevolent  exactly,  but  humane  and 
statesmanlike,  for  the  general  good.  He  seems  to  have 
strategy,  being  far-seeing;  strategy  to  counteract  op- 
posing forces  or  designs.  I  feel  all  filled  with  fire  and 
energy  to  accomplish  a  certain  purpose.  He  does  not 
fail  in  any  great  purpose,  or  cause,  he  might  be  called  to 
defend.  He  is  a  valorous  man  — a  man  fearless  in  times 
of  great  trouble,  and  very  cool.  He  seems  born  for 
what  he  is.  Nature  has  endowed  him  with  fine  capa- 


Politics.  109 

bilities ;  but  he  is  highly  cultured,  has  studied  hard  — 
looked  into  causes. 

"  I  think  this  is  not  an  American ;  though  I  think  he 
speaks  the  English  language.  He  seems  more  like  an 
Englishman.  Am  I  correct  in  that?" 

(Reporter:  "Yes.") 

"He  seems  to  me  like  a  person  who  would  have 
to  rest.  He  needs  rest  at  this  present  time  —  rest  for 
his  brain  —  he's  been  so  long  in  action.  Oh,  this  is 
terrible !  It  gives  me  pain  in  the  temples.  [Pressing 
her  hands  on  her  temples.]  Oh,  what  a  mental  strain 
he  has  had  !  Such  sleepless  nights !  He's  been  en- 
gaged among  some  wonderful  scenes,  where  responsi. 
bility  rested  upon  him,  and  he  has  not  thought  of 
self.  Oh,  such  terrible  things  he  has  passed  through ; 
he  has  been  wonderfully  tortured  in  mind.  He  is  a 
soldier  —  a  wonderfully  astute  and  clear-headed  general 
—  he  keeps  his  own  counsel.  He  would  not  be  afraid 
to  go  into  action  —  into  active  duty  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle. I  must  hold  my  head  and  rest  a  little."  [She 
presses  her  hands  upon  her  head.] 

(Reporter :  "  What  has  he  been  attending  to,  or  con- 
ducting lately?") 

"  I  feel  that  he  has  had  to  do  with  a  turbulent  condi- 
tion —  it  seems  like  war.  Yes,  cannonading,  all  kinds 
of  missiles  of  warfare.  He  has  been  directing  it,  as 
some  great  director  at  the  helm." 

(Reporter :  "  Is  there  anything  else  that  engages  his 
attention  ?") 

"  It  is  hard  to  get  away  from  that  I  have  been  talking 
about.  I  am  waiting  to  see  if  he  is  a  literary  man.  He 
is  very  intellectual,  and  has  talent  for  literature. 


1 1 0  Psychometry  in 

"He  has  always  occupied  high  places.  I  don't  think 
he  can  be  ranked  as  a  literary  man,  but  he  is  fond  of 
literature.  His  mind  would  run  more  to  State  and 
government  than  to  literature. 

"He's  a  man  of  great  decision  —  would  not  change 
his  mind  from  sympathy  with  surroundings.  He  is  not 
easily  turned,  for  he  decides  with  great  deliberation  and 
coolness.  He  is  a  man  in  whom  the  people  have  great 
confidence.  He  shows  the  people  that  he  is  humane. 
If  he  were  a  ruler,  he  would  be  compassionate  and  just 
to  his  subjects  —  he  seems  almost  in  such  a  capacity. 
He  sways  great  power,  and  has  to  do  with  European 
Powers  —  seems  to  be  constantly  dictating.  He's  a 
strict  adherent  to  the  honor  of  his  country  —  a  true 
Englishman  in  that  respect. 

"  Oh,  now,  I  begin  to  think  this  is  the  Queen's 
Premier,  Gladstone.  He's  so  grand  —  so  thoroughly 
English." 

(Reporter ;  "  You  are  right.  Tell  us  his  policy  as  to 
Ireland  and  Egypt") 

"  He  is  Ireland's  best  friend,  and  he  will  make  them 
see  it  yet.  He  will  exercise  a  humane  policy  towards 
Ireland,  and  they  will  give  him  praise  for  his  acts  to- 
wards them. 

"  He  don't  concede  very  much  —  don't  yield,  but  he 
seems  ever  prompted  by  a  spirit  of  justice.  He  is  not 
an  intriguer.  As  to  Egypt,  his  action  will  be  concilia- 
tory—  he  will  be  a  great  assistant.  He  will  assist  the 
Khedive,  and  be  an  adviser  and  co-operate  in  the  best 
means  to  bring  that  country  up  to  its  proper  standing 
among  other  nations.  He  will  encourage  self-depen- 
dence. He  would  desire  to  establish  harmony  of 


Politics.  1 1 1 

feeling  with  that  country  as  an  ally  of  England,  and 
that  will  be  the  case.  The  better  spirit  of  both  coun- 
tries will  be  brought  out.  He  will  avoid  collision  with 
other  countries  if  possible :  when  war  can  be  averted 
he  will  avert  it,  but  when  it  is  inevitable  he  will  be 
equal  to  task." 

Another  investigation  of  Mr.  Gladstone  was  made  on 
the  23d  of  April,  1885,  when  the  war  with  Russia  was 
by  many  considered  inevitable,  and  I  felt  curious  to 
know  how  the  subject  appeared  in  her  mind.  The  im- 
pression of  Gladstone  from  his  photograph  followed 
immediately  that  of  Shakespeare  before  its  influence 
had  subsided.  The  following  was  her  expression  :  — 

"This  too  seems  a  literary  man  —  a  man  of  genius. 
But  I  feel  very  restless  —  something  comes  in  as  a  shad- 
ow over  me.  I  feel  a  great  deal  of  life  in  him  —  he  is 
living.  He  holds  a  high  position,  with  a  high  standard 
of  intellect  —  people  admire  him  —  toady  to  him. 

"It  is  an  agreeable  influence  but  restless.  He  has 
something  to  do  with  government  affairs  —  affairs  of 
the  country.  He  is  not  hopeful  and  bright  at  this  time. 
Things  he  has  most  at  heart  are  not  successful  or  pro- 
mising as  he  wishes.  I  think  he  feels  as  if  a  crisis  is 
coming  on  in  his  life  that  may  turn  out  badly  for  his 
plans  —  badly  for  the  country  —  to  its  disadvantage. 
Is  it  not  Mr.  Gladstone  ?  It  is  like  him  ;  but  I  feel  a 
restlessness  I  did  not  feel  from  him  formerly.  I  am 
in  too  much  sympathy  with  him  to  describe  him  well." 

(It  is  Mr.  Gladstone.  What  does  he  think  on  the 
question  of  peace  or  war  ?)  "  I  think  he  feels  hopeful 
and  still  doubtful  —  though  hopeful  it  may  be  averted. 
He  thinks  there  is  a  great  deal  of  treachery  on  the  part 


112  PsycJwuietry  in 

of  his  foreign  opponents  and  some  of  his  own  country 
too." 

(Does  he  anticipate  mediation  ?)  "Yes,  he  looks  to 
some  power  interfering  and  pacifying  the  Russian 
government.  His  physical  condition  is  improved  since 
my  last  description." 

As  to  the  restlessness  and  the  feeling  of  treachery  at 
home  and  abroad,  Mr.  Gladstone  with  his  family  and 
guests  had  been  interrupted  at  breakfast  that  morning 
(April  23d)  by  the  sound  of  the  explosion  at  the 
Admiralty  office  (suspected  to  be  caused  by  Fenians). 
In  addition  to  the  threatening  position  of  Russia,  France 
was  threatening  Egypt  on  account  of  the  suppression 
of  the  Bosphore  Egyptian  newspaper  in  which  England 
was  necessarily  involved. 

D'ISRAELI,  THE  STATESMAN  AND  AUTHOR. 

"This  is  a  man.  He  does  not  seem  living  (You  are 
right).  He  seems  to  have  left  a  record  which  has  done 
him  justice.  He  is  not. a  man  to  make  many  enemies. 
He  was  a  great  thinker  and  hard  student.  He  had  a 
philosophic  mind,  sound  and  clear.  He  was  intellectual 
and  could  write  or  talk  on  almost  any  theme  with 
fluency. 

"He  seems  a  literary  man.  He  aimed  at  literary 
notoriety.  But  he  was  placed  in  some  prominent  posi- 
tion where  he  swayed  a  great  deal  of  influence.  He 
acted  in  a  satisfactory  manner.  His  career  was  an 
enviable  one.  He  ranked  among  the  higher  powers. 
If  American,  he  would  rank  as  high  as  President.  He 
was  not  despotic,  but  had  a  good  deal  of  the  American 
spirit/' 


Politics.  1 1 3 

(What  was  his  language  ?)  "  He  understood  several. 
He  was  a  scholar,  a  fine  linguist,  understood  French, 
Latin,  Greek,  and  Hebrew." 

(What  would  be  his  policy  in  government  ?)  "Some- 
what like  Mr.  Gladstone's,  but  a  little  more  arbitrary. 
He  has  a  great  deal  of  decision  of  character.  He  does 
not  decide  hastily  —  gives  a  great  deal  of  thought  to  a 
subject.  He  has  travelled  and  familiarized  himself  with 
various  affairs  and  seems  almost  to  have  lost  his  nation- 
ality. It  is  difficult  for  me  to  decide  on  it. 

"  After  deliberating,  he  would  act  with  a  great  deal 
of  promptness.  He  would  put  down  a  rebellion  with  a 
great  deal  of  energy.  He  was  judicious,  but  he  would 
never  retract." 

(What  would  be  his  policy  as  to  peace  or  war?) 

"He  would  take  great  pains  to  conciliate,  but  when 
nations  were  aggressive,  he  would  put  them  down  with 
a  great  deal  of  vigor." 

(What  do  you  think  of  him  as  a  speaker  ?) 

"He  was  very  forcible  in  language  and  manner. 
His  energy  would  be  much  like  that  of  Jackson.  There 
was  a  great  deal  of  magnetism  in  his  voice.  His  points 
in  argument  were  very  clear.  He  would  bring  down  a 
great  deal  of  applause.  He  always  made  his  speeches 
tell.  It  feels  to  me  as  if  he  was  a  Member  of  Parlia- 
ment. There  was  a  great  deal  of  the  Parliamentary 
about  them.  He  observed  Parliamentary  rules  and 
etiquette." 

"To  compare  him  with  our  orators  and  statesmen, 
he  was  more  like  Clay  than  any  I  can  think  of." 

(What  was  he  in  society  ?) 

"I  should  think  he  was  a  great  favorite  with  Queen 


1 14  Psychometry  in 

Victoria.  His  policy  and  character  were  such  she  would 
look  upon  him  with  great  favor.  In  social  life  he  was 
at  home  with  ladies  —  a  friend  to  women.  In  his  do- 
mestic life  he  was  all  right,  had  no  discord,  was  har- 
moniously situated." 

(What  was  his  literary  life?) 

"The  Hebrew  language  comes  to  my  mind.  It 
seems  to  me  he  was  a  novelist  (Like  whom  ? )  More  like 
D'Israeli  than  any  one  I  can  think  of." 

(How  does  his  public  career  compare  with  D'Israeli?) 

"  I  believe  it  is  he.  I  am  startled  with  the  resem- 
blance—  it  is  so  close  a  resemblance  he  must  have  the 
same  blood  in  his  veins." 

(You  are  right.  How  does  he  appear  to  compare 
with  Gladstone  according  to  your  impressions  of  each  ? ) 

Holding  the  two  pictures  she  replied  :  — 

"  He  has  more  ingenuity  and  policy.  .  His  love  of 
approbation  is  greater.  He  would  throw  more  energy 
in  his  speeches,  but  Mr.  Gladstone  would  be  more  im- 
pressive. They  would  address  different  feelings.  I 
should  prefer  Mr.  Gladstone's  policy  —  he  is  more  tole- 
rant and  would  take  more  pacific  measures  in  foreign 
difficulties.  Their  dispositions  are  different,  but  they 
are  true  to  their  positions,  and  viewed  difficulties  in  the 
same  light,  but  would  have  different  modes  of  settling 
them." 

(How  would  it  be  as  to  Ireland  ? ) 

"D'Israeli  would  consider  them  a  difficult  people  to 
deal  with,  and  would  employ  very  strict  measures. 
Gladstone,  would  be  more  tolerant.  He  would  employ 
a  firm,  decided  method,  but  would  endeavor  to  make 
them  feel  that  their  government  was  not  oppressive." 


Politics.  115 

In  the  foregoing  opinion,  it  is  quite  characteristic 
that  she  should  be  puzzled  as  to  the  nationality  of 
D' Israeli.  His  Jewish  extraction  and  peculiar  character 
would  not  suggest  an  Englishman.  Of  the  character 
and  career  of  D'Israeli  she  knew  very  little,  and  the 
impressions  were  quite  new. to  her  mind. 

GEN.   U.   S.   GRANT    (May    IO,    1885). 

"  This  gives  me  a  headache.  I  feel  brain-weary,  as  if 
overtaxed.  I  think  it  is  a  man  who  studies.  He  is 
engaged  in  some  mental  work  that  calls  for  a  great  deal 
of  strength,  and  draws  upon  his  memory  of  events.  I 
don't  know  what  it  is ;  he  does  not  seem  an  ordinary 
literary  character  —  not  like  the  old  poets  or  historians. 
I  get  a  fresh  feeling  as  if  it  were  just  now. 

"  What  an  eventful  career !  It  seems  to  me  like  a 
person  who  had  originated  humbly  —  was  in  ordinary 
life  —  with  nothing  in  his  early  manhood  that  showed 
.any  capacities  beyond  ordinary  men. 

"There  was  some  occurrence,  some  universal  agita- 
tion, some  sudden  call  for  *  energy  and  activity, —  what 
can  it  be?  —  it  seems  like  war.  I  am  all  stirred  up; 
something  has  called  him  out,  brought  out  his  capacities 
and  ingenuity,  and  placed  him  in  high  position. 

"It  seems  a  person  of  no  ordinary  power.  I  feel  as 
if  being  braced  up  by  the  situation,  physically  and  men- 
tally. He  is  alive.  Some  overshadowing  condition 
brought  out  his  shrewdness  and  executive  ability,  all 
going  in  one  direction,  for  one  purpose.  I  don't  yet 
see  what  it  is. 

"Now  I  see  it.  He  is  a  military  man,  a  soldier.  He 
is  not  one  who  would  give  up  a  cause  he  had  espoused. 


1 1 6  Psychometry  in 

He  seems  almost  like  a  tiger  in  his  strength,  he  holds 
on  so  to  his  will  —  his  wonderful  will-power  and  sagacity 
in  military  tactics. 

"I  feel  that  this  man  is  one  of  the  great  successful 
generals  in  our  late  war ;  not  a  Confederate,  a  Union 
man  :  but  what  has  that  to  do  with  the  literary  work 
that  I  felt  at  first  ? 

"  His  popularity  did  not  cease  with  the  close  of  the 
war.  It  was  greater  then  than  ever.  He  had  none 
before  the  war.  This  war  brought  out  and  developed 
characteristics  which  he  did  not  know  existed.  Had  it 
not  been  for  the  war,  this  man  would  have  been  a  com- 
mon citizen.  He  had  not  ambition  to  go  in  pursuit  of 
fame." 

(What  was  the  nature  of  his  powers  ?) 

"He  had  an  iron  will.  He  was  a  bold  man  —  had  no 
trepidation  —  though  he  did  not  court  personal  danger. 
He  was  wise  in  laying  his  plans,  and  very  adroit  in  his 
movements.  He  has  a  great  deal  of  intuitive  power, 
but  it  does  not  display  itself  in  ordinary  life.  In  mili- 
tary affairs  he  took  in  the  whole  situation  by  intuition  ; 
he  was  intuitive  in  selecting  officers,  and  in  giving 
orders. 

"  He  is  a  politician,  a  radical  politician.     He  would 
stand  by  his  party  and  his  country.     He  loves  power, 
and  his  whole  military  career  was  a  successful  period  - 
everything   tended    to    success.     He    carried    the    un- 
bounded good  wishes  of  the  people  with  him." 

(To  what  result  ?) 

"  I  see  him  holding  a  very  prominent  office  ;  I  see  him 
travelling.  The  people  had  great  confidence  in  him, 


Politics.  117 

and  wished  to  give  him  a  position  to  show  their  grati- 
tude. They  made  him  President. 

"  Now  I  think  this  is  Gen.  Grant.  I  see  him  as 
President. 

(Tell  us  of  his  present  condition?) 

"At  first  I  felt  the  pressure  on  the  intellectual  facul- 
ties from  drawing  too  sharply  on  his  memory.  Now 
that  I  know  who  it  is,  I  don  't  wish  to  speak  of  his  con 
dition,  but  he  is  not  going  to  pass  away  soon.  His 
will-power  will  keep  him  alive,  but  I  do  not  wish  to 
speak  of  it" 

What  but  a  marvellous  intuition  transcending  all 
conceivable  laws  of  mind,  could  produce  such  a  portrait 
of  Gen.  Grant  from  impressions  received  only  by  the 
touch  of  a  picture  unseen.  It  gave  her  instantaneously 
a  sympathy  with  his  condition  at  that  moment  wearied 
by  the  work  on  his  memoirs,  and  from  that  perfect 
sympathy  she  evolved  his  whole  life,  and  could,  if  ques- 
tioned have  given  far  more  in  detail.  The  remark  that 
he  would  have  been  but  a  common  citizen  if  the  war 
had  not  called  him  out,  and  developed  his  powers,  and 
that  his  success  was  due  to  an  iron  will  and  an  intuitive 
comprehension  of  the  military  situation,  a  comprehen- 
sion not  shown  in  ordinary  business,  shows  a  thorough 
understanding  of  the  man. 

General  Badeau  says  of  Grant  in  a  recent  essay  : 
"  Grant's  genius  was  always  ready ;  it  was  always 
brightest  in  an  emergency.  All  his  faculties  were 
sharpened  in  battle ;  the  man  who  to  some  seemed  dull 
or  even  slow,  was  then  prompt  and  decided.  When 
the  circumstances  were  once  presented  to  him,  he  was 
never  long  in  determining.  He  seemed  to  have  a  facility 


Ii8  Psychometry  in  Politics. 

of  penetrating  at  once  to  the  heart  of  things.  He  saw 
what  was  the  point  to  strike,  or  the  thing  to  do,  and  he 
never  wavered  in  his  judgment  afterward,  unless  of 
course,  under  new  contingencies.  Then  he  had  no 
false  pride  of  opinion,  no  hesitation  in  undoing  what  he 
had  ordered ;  but  if  the  circumstances  remained  the 
same,  he  never  doubted  his  own  judgment." 

The  immediate  sympathy  of  the  psychometer  with 
Grant  before  describing  his  character  or  realizing  it 
was  shown  in  feeling  his  physical  condition  —  his  brain 
wearied  with  the  tax  on  his  memory.  The  experiment 
was  at  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  dispatches 
published  the  next  day  showed  that  he  was  at  this  time 
engaged  on  his  book,  and  had  spent  several  hours  upon 
it  the  day  before. 

General  Sherman  said  of  Grant,  according  to  a  cor- 
respondent of  the  Montreal  Gazette,  when  asked  why  he 
recognized  Grant's  superiority,  "  Because,  while  I  could 
map  out  a  dozen  plans  for  a  campaign,  every  one  of 
which  Sheridan  would  swear  he  could  fight  out  to  vic- 
tory, neither  he  nor  I  could  tell  which  of  the  plans  was 
the  best  one ;  but  Grant,  who  simply  sat  and  listened 
and  looked,  while  we  had  been  talking  over  the  maps, 
would  at  the  end  of  our  talking,  tell  us  which  was  the 
best  plan,  and  in  a  dozen  or  two  words  the  reason  of 
his  decisions,  and  then  it  would  all  be  so  clear  to  us 
that  he  was  right,  that  Sheridan  and  I  would  look  at 
each  other  and  wonder  why  we  hadn't  seen  the  advan- 
tage of  it  ourselves." 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

PSYCHOMETRY   IN   LITERATURE. 

Value  of  Psychometry  in  furnishing  correct  and  condensed  views  of  his- 
torical and  literary  characters  and  questions. 

Psychometric  descriptions  of  Lord  Bacon,  Baron  Humboldt,  Dr.  Gall, 
Auguste  Comte,  Herbert  Spencer,  Prof.  Tyndall,  Prof.  Huxley,  John 
Stuart  Mill,  Shakespeare,  Milton,  Sir  Walter  Scott,  Homer,  Victor 
Hugo. 

Literature,  history  and  biography  furnish  an  immense 
mass  of  material,  the  mastery  of  which  would  require  a 
much  longer  period  than  any  human  life  even  were  it 
not  involved  in  the  trouble  and  difficulties  of  controversy 
and  criticism.  Yet  every  one  who  aspires  to  an  honora- 
ble rank  in  general  intelligence  desires  to  have  a  sum- 
mary conception  of  whatever  is  most  important  in  these 
three  fields  of  knowledge. 

Psychometry  renders  such  a  periscope  possible  for 
those  who  are  not  professional  literati,  and  who  have  no 
time  to  burden  themselves  with  useless  knowledge.  It 
gives  us  a  distinct  and  compact  conception  of  all  who 
have  figured  in  the  past  or  are  conspicuous  to-day,  and 
saves  us  from  the  necessity  of  reviewing  old  discussions 
and  burdening  the  mind  with  a  multitude  of  remote 
incidents  that  have  little  or  no  bearing  on  present 
affairs.  It  gives  us  correct  estimates  of  the  past  with  its 
personalities  and  its  important  questions  and  throws  a 
light  upon  personal  character  which  renders  our  read- 
ing  far  more  satisfactory  and  instructive.  Moreover,  it 


T2O  Psychometry  in 

pronounces  the  sentence  of  justice  upon  all  that  is  past 
as  well  as  upon  that  which  is  contemporary. 

From  my  portfolio  of  psychometric  investigations  I 
have  selected  the  following  reports  as  specimens  of  the 
application  of  Psychometry  in  the  investigation  of 
literary  character. 

LORD    BACON. 

"  This  is  a  man  —  not  a  modern  character  —  he 
belongs  to  the  past  but  is  not  one  of  the  ancients.  He 
was  a  man  of  great  ability  and  prominence,  of  marked 
intellectuality  and  a  great  deal  of  mental  power.  It 
stimulates  me,  I  feel  it  in  the  region  of  firmness.  He 
had  pride  and  ambition.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  sway- 
ing power.  I  think  he  is  known  and  quoted  now. 

"  I  don't  consider  him  an  evenly  balanced  mind.  He 
was  subject  to  moods,  and  was  not  always  to  be  depended 
upon.  ' 

(What  sort  of  a  life  did  he  lead  ?) 

"  A  life  of  excitability.  He  kept  things  stirring  all 
the  while.  He  was  in  the  political  world.  He  was  not 
an  amiable  man.  People  served  him  more  through  fear 
than  love.  He  was  an  over-weening  man.  I  don't 
fancy  his  principles.  He  was  revengeful  and  loved  to 
display  his  power.  His  integrity  was  not  reliable.  He 
was  traitorous,  false  to  his  friends.  I  should  fear  him 
as  an  enetny.  He  had  no  conscientious  scruples  in 
gaining  his  purposes.  He  would  not  treat  women 
properly  as  human  beings  but  would  only  use  them  for 
his  purposes. 

"  He  was  eminently  intellectual.  He  was  a  writer. 
He  wrote  on  deep  subjects.  I  do  not  exactly  see  what 
they  were  — they  were  deep  and  far-reaching.  He  was 
too  critical  to  give  any  one  much  credit.  I  think  he 
would  write  on  philosophical  subjects,  embracing  sci- 
ence, religion,  church  and  state. 

"  He  was  a  very  attractive  author  and  attained  a  very 


Literature.  12 1 

high  reputation.  He  has  been  much  admired  and  much 
criticised  in  later  times.  He  was  more  distinguished  in 
literary  than  political  life." 

(With  whom  was  he  acquainted  as  his  contempora- 
ries ?) 

[After  a  pause.]  "  It  seems  to  me  that  it  was  under 
the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  He  held  some  appointment 
under  her.  I  think  he  knew  Shakespeare.  I  feel  that 
he  lived  in  a  bloody  period.  His  career  was  restless 
and  varied.  He  had  periods  of  adversity  and  prosperity. 
He  left  a  high  character  among  literati,  but  he  lived  in 
a  licentious  age  and  he  was  a  licentious  man.  His 
character  is  not  esteemed  by  those  who  know  it." 

Another  very  graphic  description  of  Lord  Bacon  was 
given  psychometrically  by  Mrs.  Hayden  as  follows  :  — 

"  This  is  a  different  character  altogether  (referring  to 
Dr.  Harvey  whom  she  had  just  described).  He  is  more 
jocose,  would  not  take  things  to  heart  too  seriously. 
He  is  a  quick  thinker,  quick  in  speech  and  in  action, 
elevated,  enjoying  wealth,  power,  and  luxury,  not  ab- 
stemious. There's  a  jovial,  rollicking,  reckless  spirit. 
His  moral  character  is  far  inferior  to  Harvey's," 

(What  of  his  intellectual  powers  ?) 

"They  are  very  fine.  It  seems  such  a  pity  to  see 
such  a  noble  intellect  connected  with  such  reckless 
profligacy.  Whatever  came  from  his  pen  was  brilliant 
and  grand.  He  might  write  his  best  after  a  debauch, 
perhaps  half  drunk.  He  was  a  spendthrift  regardless  of 
the  future.  He  could  get  money  easily,  spend  it,  be 
reduced  to  poverty  and  rise  again.  But  he  had  a  splen- 
did intellect.  What  an  abortion  of  a  superior  man ! 
He  is  indeed  a  remarkable  character.  He  has  been 
dead  a  long  time,  I  can't  define  it  exactly." 

(Were  there  any  remarkable  events  in  his  life?) 

"  It  was  full  of  the  most  remarkable  events.  He  was 
from  the  lowest  stage  to  the  highest,  a  life  most  event- 
ful. I  think  he  would  do  impudent  daredevil  things 


122  Psychometry  in 

nobody  else  would  dare  to  do.  He  had  no  special 
moral  nature  but  was  at  times  scrupulously  refined ; 
at  other  times  cared  neither  for  women  nor  anything 
else.  I  never  felt  so  remarkable  a  character.  He  had 
a  nobleness  and  independence  that  was  really  grand. 
Money  was  used  only  for  his  pleasure. 

"  He  wrote  and  his  writings  were  brilliant.  He  was 
brilliant  as  a  philosopher,  with  large  causality,  large 
perceptions  and  intuition.  He  had  a  fine  education  and 
a  great  command  of  language.  All  through  his  writings 
were  striking  sentiments  and  expressions.  He  was 
not  scientifically  profound  like  Harvey :  he  was  more 
brilliant  than  scientific  ;  he  was  more  original  than 
Harvey.  He  detested  plagiarism  and  borrowed  from 
nobody." 

(Could  he  have  written  Shakespeare's  plays  ?) 
"  Yes,  he  could  have  written  them.  The  passages  of 
doubtful  chastity  would  have  suited  him.  He  certainly 
wrote  plays,  and  the  language  of  his  plays  was  charac- 
teristic. There  is  a  good  deal  of  similarity  intellectually. 
He  was  equal  to  Shakespeare  if  not  superior,  with  a  more 
refined  education.  .  .  .  But  he  did  not  seek  fame  though 
he  had  it.  He  would  as  lief  be  regarded  as  a  notorious 
roue.  He  was  sensual  and  shameless.  He  handled 
money  loosely  and  made  it  fly —  not  like  Harvey  who 
handled  his  money  carefully." 

These  two  terse  and  emphatic  descriptions  make 
quite  a  complete  picture  of  Bacon.  Either  of  the  psy- 
chometers  could  have  told  the  whole  story  and  eluci- 
dated many  other  points  in  Bacon's  character  and  his- 
tory, if  the  examination  had  been  more  prolonged  and  I 
had  questioned  them  as  witnesses  to  develop  all  they 
could  discover.  But  I  had  never  adopted  this  method, 
preferring  a  spontaneous  description  of  the  salient 
points  that  impress  themselves  on  the  psychometer,  and 
not  desiring  to  tax  their  mental  energies  by  any  fatigue 
ing  task. 


Literature*  123 

In  this,  as  in  all  my  reports  of  psychometric  descrip- 
tions, I  perceive  a  remarkable  clearness  and  comprehen- 
siveness of  statement  such  as  might  be  made  by  one 
entirely  familiar  with  the  life  work  of  the  subject.  No 
one  fully  acquainted  with  Bacon's  career  could  have 
spoken  more  clearly  and  comprehensively.  His  profli- 
gacy, treachery,  licentiousness,  malignity,  versatility, 
restlessness,  sudden  reverses,  intellectual  brilliance, 
famous  authorship  and  even  the  modern  criticism  to 
which  he  has  been  subjected  were  all  stated,  and  his 
career  located  under  Queen  Elizabeth.  Pope  did  not 
understand  him  any  better  when  a  century  after  Bacon's 
death  he  called  him  "  the  wisest,  brightest,  meanest  of 
mankind." 

BARON    HUMBOLDT. 

"  This  seems  like  a  philosopher  who  has  passed  away, 
he  is  not  living.  He  was  a  scientist.  He  is  a  great 
scholar  and  student,  always  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of 
knowledge.  I  think  him  a  great  man.  He  was  warm- 
hearted, genial  and  temperate.  He  was  fond  of  writing 
upon  deep  questions.  It  seems  as  though  he  did  every- 
thing. He  was  a  broad  man  in  every  sense  of  the 
word,  nothing  narrow  or  stinted  about  him.  He  was 
not  an  American,  I  think  his  nationality  might  be  Ger- 
man. His  nation  would  be  very  proud  of  him.  He  did  a 
great  deal  for  his  country  but  not  as  a  military  man,  yet 
his  opinions  would  be  freely  given  on  those  subjects.  He 
was  not  a  novelist,  he  did  not  write  light  literature. 
He  was  engaged  in  discoveries,  being  very  scientific. 
He  was  esteemed  very  highly  as  an  author.  He  was 
very  liberal  in  his  religion  but  had  not  much  of  what 
the  church  would  call  religion,  possibly  they  might  call 
him  an  infidel. 

"  It  gives  me  the  feeling  of  plunging  into  nature,  her 
physical  and  occult  forces." 


124  Psychometry  in 

(What  sciences  would  it  be  ?) 

"  I  don't  know  unless  it  is  the  science  of  the  universe. 
He  would  look  into  the  origin  of  races  and  sociological 
subjects.  He  was  a  fine  linguist.  There  was  no  science 
out  of  his  reach.  He  is  quoted  as  an  authority.  He 
had  a  capacious  brain  and  physical  endurance  to  write 
and  give  out  his  views.  He  attended  to  medical  science 
but  it  was  not  very  prominent,  and  was  interested  in 
chemistry.  He  was  a  very  critical  observer  and  criti- 
cised sharply  the  productions  of  others  who  differed 
with  him.  He  was  rather  iconoclastic  and  keen  in  his 
replies.  He  was  not  speculative  but  solid. 

"  I  like  him  very  much.  I  would  have  liked  him  as  a 
man.  He  had  a  genial  happy  temperament. 

"  He  occupied  a  very  high  position  ;  he  associated  with 
the  highest  classes,  and  royalty  —  they  felt  honored  by 
his  presence  but  he  was  not  strictly  a  society  man.  He 
did  not  look  down  on  the  poor.  He  was  widely  known  by 
other  nations  than  his  own,  almost  universally  —  such 
a  man  could  not  be  hid.  He  had  a  good  constitution  and 
attained  old  age,  possibly  over  eighty,  and  enjoyed  life." 

Mrs.  HAYDEN'S  psychometric  description  was  as 
follows  :  — 

"This  is  not  so  legible  character  as  the  one  just 
described  (Compte).  There  is  a  vast  difference.  This 
is  a  man,  I  am  sure,  but  not  so  open  and  frank  as 
Compte.  I  can't  describe  him  so  well,  can't  approach 
him  so  easily,  but  he  is  very  clever  and  talented,  has 
great  thoughts,  large  ideas.  He  has  a  great  forehead, 
has  strong  perceptive  faculties,  and  intense  thought. 
There  is  too  much  of  him  to  be  analyzed  easily.  He 
achieved  a  great  name,  he  did  a  great  work,  and  is 
known  round  the  globe.  He  was  a  scientist  and  a 
leader  :  a  very  celebrated  man.  He  could  not  be  an 
ordinary  man  with  such  a  brain.  He  could  write  well 
on  any  subject.  He  was  splendidly  educated,  and  was 
a  splendid  conversationalist.  He  drew  around  him  the 
highest  classes  and  was  much  courted ;  was  elegant  in 


Literature.  125 

manners  and  conversation,  and  was  attractive  to  women. 
He  catered  more  to  the  religious  idea  than  Compte,  but 
did  not  believe  much.  He  had  a  high  standard  of 
principle,  and  moved  in  high  society.  He  was  fond  of 
advancing  the  condition  of  mankind,  chiefly  by  scientific 
labor.  He  did  much  and  was  proud  of  it."  (Q. —  How 
does  he  compare  with  Lord  Bacon  ?)  "  He  was  more 
solid  or  talented,  but  had  not  so  much  genius.  He 
could  write  better  than  either  Mill  or  Spencer.  He  was 
a  pleasing  writer  without  any  effort.  His  pen  flew 
rapidly.  He  is  a  great  character,  and  I  am  not  satisfied 
that  I  can  do  him  justice."  (Q. —  What  was  his  nation- 
ality ?)  "  He  was  not  American.  He  was  fluent  in  both 
English  and  German.  I  think  German  was  his  mother 
tongue.  He  has  no  Americanism."  (Q. —  How  does  he 
compare  with  Huxley?)  "Huxley  is  too  coarse  and 
material  in  comparison.  This  man  was  refined  and 
dignified ;  there  is  a  sublimity  in  his  career.  In  the 
sciences  he  would  be  a  Geologist  and  Mineralogist. 
To-day  he  is  making  deep  researches.  He  excelled  in 
Mineralogy  and  Geology." 

The  assertion  that  "  to-day  he  is  making  deep  re- 
searches," may  surprise  those  who  do  not  know  that  the 
most  gifted  psychometers  always  follow  a  character  into 
the  post-mortem  as  well  as  the  ante-mortem  life.  Indeed, 
some  are  so  spiritual  as  to  get  the  impression  first  of 
the  life  in  the  higher  spheres  before  the  career  on  earth. 
There  is  a  vast  wealth  of  philosophy  attainable  in  this 
direction.  Hereafter  we  shall  have  psychometric  minds 
capable  of  communicating  directly  with  Humboldt  and 
all  others  who  in  the  clearer  light  of  Heaven  have  been 
looking  deeply  into  philosophy  and  science.  It  is 
practicable  now,  and  it  is  for  this  that  I  proposed  to 
establish  the  COLLEGE  OF  THE  SOUL.  I  trust  there  may 
be  sufficient  enlightenment  on  the  earth  to-day  to 
co-operate  in  such  a  purpose. 


126  Psyckometry  in 

DR.  GALL:   the  Founder  of  Phrenology. 

"  This  gives  a  great  influence,  that  of  a  very  powerful 
person.  It  goes  into  the  muscular  system,  fills  my 
body,  feels  like  a  large,  strong  man.  This  is  one  who 
had  uncommon  ability  to  talk,  and  sway  the  people  by 
his  intellectual  power.  I  feel  an  enlargement  of  the 
forehead  and  eyes.  It  inflates  my  whole  body,  even 
the  lungs.  I  feel  a  great  desire  to  reason  out  things. 
He  must  have  been  a  powerful  reasoner,  and  strong  in 
the  intuitive  powers.  He  would  combat  a  doctrine  with 
great  power.  He  has  a  strong  will,  and  is  exceedingly 
zealous.  His  strong  reasoning  powers  would  overwhelm 
common  minds.  I  feel  a  power  in  the  temples.  He 
was  not  nervous,  would  hardly  know  that  he  had  nerves. 
He  seems  muscular.  He  had  a  large  heart,  would  go 
into  generous  acts  of  philanthropy,  and  be  interested  in 
any  great  work  for  the  benefit  of  mankind,  but  he  does 
not  have  in  himself  a  great  love  of  power  or  display  — 
he  is  modest.  He  would  love  like  a  torrent,  yet  is  not 
demonstrative.  He  is  both  passionate  and  sentimental. 
In  his  domestic  relations,  he  had  not  all  he  could  wish. 
His  wife  would  oppose  him  in  many  things,  and  he 
could  not  bear  opposition  from  his  inferiors.  He  could 
meet  the  opposition  of  great  thinkers,  but  the  opposi- 
tion of  the  petty  would  annoy  him.  He  did  not  live 
with  his  wife  happily,  or  did  not  live  with  her  at  all. 
She  was  inferior  in  many  things,  but  she  appeared 
better  when  he  chose  her.  Her  ambitions  did  not  run 
in  the  same  direction  as  his ;  it  was  a  vanity  that  did 
not  please  him.  His  investigations  were  as  to  the 
mind.  He  would  pay  attention  to  the  possible  powers 
of  the  mind  and  the  brain.  He  would  study  individuals 
and  history  —  the  past,  present,  and  future.  He  had  a 
great  knowledge  of  the  brain  and  body.  He  under- 
stood the  anatomy  of  the  brain  thoroughly,  was  thor- 
oughly educated  in  anatomy.  Destructiveness  was 
large  in  him.  He  would  apply  his  knowledge  of  anat- 


Literature.  1 27 

omy  in  every  pursuit.  He  understood  the  organic 
functions  of  the  brain  I  feel  his  life  and  warmth  as  if 
he  were  present.  He  would  not  belong  to  a  church. 
He  does  not  look  to  God  as  a  ruler,  or  an  object  of  fear." 
(Qt  —  What  does  he  think  of  the  discoveries  and  exper- 
ments  of  Dr.  Buchanan  ?)  "  He  thinks  they  are  grand. 
He  approves  the  groundwork,  and  the  way  he  has 
started."  He  says  the  structure  he  is  building  will  leave 
a  monument  to  future  generations." 

AUGUSTE    COMPTE. 
(Founder  of  the  Positive  Philosophy.) 

"  I  seem  to  be  taken  into  the  past,  very  far  oack ;  an 
influence  from  the  remote  past  attended  this  person. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  grandeur  of  thought,  sublimity 
of  ideas.  I  first  get  the  spiritual  attendant  of  this  per- 
son. It  is  a  woman.  All  thought  this  brain  generates 
seems  well  balanced,  even,  systematic.  He  was  a  phil- 
anthropist and  a  discoverer.  He  would  unfold  or 
enlarge  discoveries  originated  in  other  minds,  and  make 
them  clear.  There  is  a  peculiar  originality.  He  had 
his  own  way  of  saying  things.  He  never  followed.  He 
would  not  say  anything  others  had  said  before  him, 
unless  in  an  entirely  new  dress.  He  theorized  a  great 
deal,  but  did  not  reduce  the  theories  to  practice.  He 
was  eccentric  in  religious  opinions,  yet  believed  in  God 
and  a  future  state  :  no  —  he  was  not  settled  in  his  mind 
as  to  the  ultimate  condition  of  man.  His  views  would 
change.  His  opinions  were  not  popular,  though  he  had 
followers.  He  spoke  out  freely  his  changes  of  opinion. 
He  was  not  very  poetical.  He  seems  very  eccentric, 
but  had  many  grand  ideas.  He  was  a  great  friend  to 
woman,  would  sacrifice  a  great  deal  for  her  elevation. 
He  would  like  to  establish  rules,  making  woman  equal 
to  man.  In  religion  he  would  be  favorable  to  commu- 
nities, and  to  a  religion  of  good  conduct.  He  would 
teach  morality.  He  was  not  an  advocate  of  the  marriage 
relation,  as  it  now  exists  There  is  a  great  deal  in  this 


128  Psyckometry  in 

character  that  is  hard  to  describe."  (Q.  —  Was  he  ever 
liable  to  insanity  ?)  "  I  think  he  was,  from  the  confusion 
and  fickleness  of  ideas  that  I  get.  Insanity  might  come 
from  intense  thought,  and  some  trouble  in  his  life  that 
preyed  on  his  mind.  He  seemed  to  be  moody  and  mis- 
anthropic at  times,  but  at  his  death  he  was  in  his  right 
mind."  (Q.  — What  was  his  nationality  ?)  "  He  spoke 
more  than  one  language,  but  I  think  he  was  French." 
(Q.  —  What  was  his  domestic  life  ?)  "  His  domestic  life 
was  not  successful ;  he  did  not  marry  the  one  he  loved 
best.  He  may  have  appeared  cold,  but  he  had  strong 
love,  though  he  was  exacting.  There  was  a  failure  in 
the  fruition  of  his  love.  He  was  attended  by  the  spirit 
of  the  woman  he  loved,  as  well  as  by  an  ancient  spirit." 

The  portrait  of  Compte  is  completed  by  adding  the 
psychometric  description  given  by  Mrs.  Hayden  as 
follows : 

"This  is  a  man,  a  positive  influence,  a  man  past  mid- 
dle age  with  rather  a  high  head,  a  long,  intelligent  face, 
somewhat  narrowing  to  the  chin.  He  is  a  man  of  few 
words,  but  of  great  powers  of  discrimination  and  expres- 
sion, saying  exactly  what  he  wants  to  say.  He  is  bold, 
yet  timid :  a  child  could  lead  him,  but  when  roused  he 
is  like  a  lion.  He  has  led  an  eventful  life.  He  has  an 
analytical  brain.  His  career  was  one  that  required 
deep  thought.  He  is  set  and  mature  in  his  ideas,  rather 
opinionated.  I  think  he  is  not  living.  He  is  not  an 
American.  His  manners  and  looks  are  rather  English. 
His  style  of  character  rather  German.  He  is  so  much 
of  a  linguist  I  cannot  tell  which  is  his  own  language. 
He  knows  French,  German,  and  Greek.  He  is  a 
scholar.  There  is  not  much  poetry  about  him.  He  is 
a  substantial  prose  writer  —  writes  scientific  books, 
with  something  historical.  He  is  more  like  Mill  than 
Spencer  ;  is  fully  equal  to  Mill.  •  He  is  not  egotistic.  He 
touches  no  subject  without  understanding  it."  (Q.  — 
What  do  you  say  as  to  his  religion  and  morals  ?)  "  I  do 


Literature.  129 

not  think  he  has  much  religion.  He  is  moral  and  hon- 
orable, but  has  no  more  God  than  Herbert  Spencer. 
He  has  no  historic  idea  of  Deity.  He  is  very  free  and 
liberal  in  many  things.  He  has  strict  conscientious 
scruples  :  he  can  be  depended  on."  (Q.  — What  was  his 
relation  to  woman  ?)  "  He  respects  woman  very  highly, 
but  his  domestic  life  was  not  harmonious  ;  it  was  full  of 
jar  and  distraction ;  still,  he  thinks  love  is  sacred,  and 
though  his  own  life  has  been  checkered  it  has  not  spoilt 
him.  His  real  love  passed  away,  and  left  him  sad  ;  he 
spoke  as  if  bereft.  He  has  been  careful  about  express- 
ing his  ideas  fully.  His  marriage  was  very  unhappy. 
He  was  very  original  in  all  his  writings.  He  was  a 
pleasing,  interesting,  vigorous  writer.  But  he  did  not 
realize  his  ambition,  and  was  disappointed  as  to  appre- 
ciation. Yet  he  was  regarded  by  his  followers  with 
idolatry,  and  is  still.  He  left  a  name  that  will  not  die. 
Those  who  loved  him  were  very  devoted.  He  was  a 
self-sacrificing  man,  and  devoted  his  life  to  humanity." 

HERBERT    SPENCER. 
(The  philosopher  of  evolution  and  sociology.) 

After  some  deliberation  :  — 

"  This  character  is  foreign  to  my  nature  and  does  not 
stimulate  as  much  as  some  others.  His  position  gives 
him  influence  among  intellectual  people.  He  seems  to 
be  versed  in  literature  and  a  writer.  He  does  not  seem 
to  be  a  philanthropist  —  what  he  does  in  that  way  is 
more  for  influence  and  reputation,  than  from  true  benev- 
olence. I  do  not  perceive  much  soul  in  what  he  does, 
but  I  think  he  is  popular,  with  the  public,  because  he 
advances  humane  ideas  which  have  a  good  influence. 

"  He  is  a  man  of  strong  impulses,  and  sometimes  led 
by  them  too  much.  He  might  be  considered  true  to 
his  principles  which  he  considers  right  ;  he  is  not  a  dis- 
sembler. He  looks  upon  what  he  does  as  a  matter  of 
duty — that  is  the  way  I  see  him.  He  is  a  courteous 
man. 


T3O  Psychometry  in 

"  I  think  he  has  a  fine  intellect.  The  resources  of  his 
mind  are  large  and  he  labors  to  make  his  subjects  ac- 
ceptable —  he  works  hard." 

(To  what  subjects  is  he  giving  attention  ?) 

"  He  is  doing  something  in  political  science.  He  is  a 
fresh  writer,  original,  not  dealing  in  anything  stale. 

"  His  aim  would  be  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
poor  and  working  classes  He  would  write  upon  politi- 
cal economy  and  kindred  subjects.  He  would  improve 
the  social  status.  He  would  be  interested  in  communi- 
ties that  have  grievances.  I  feel  that  he  is  not  an 
American ;  I  am  sure  of  it  —  but  he  has  great  friendli- 
ness for  American  systems  of  government. 

"His  policy  would  have  a  democratic  tendency.  It 
is  very  cautious  —  he  would  not  expend  a  great  deal  in 
direct  assistance  but  would  give  opportunities  for  pro- 
gress and  improvement.  He  seems  to  be  English  in 
character." 

(What  of  his  moral  and  religious  character  ?) 

"  In  religion  he  is  heterodox  and  tolerant — does  not 
believe  any  religion  taught  in  the  churches  — is  skeptical 
as  to  the  Bible  and  would  follow  nature. 

"  His  code  of  morals  is  good  —  he  believes  in  mar- 
riage, temperance,  industry  arid  similar  virtues  ;  he  is 
a  moral  man.  He  may  have  a  school  of  his  own  on 
such  subjects. 

"His  mind  is  skeptical  and  somewhat  dogmatic  but 
disposed  to  give  due  credit  to  facts.  He  inclines  more 
to  materialism  than  to  spiritualism,  and  feels  satisfied 
with  his  present  views,  somewhat  like  Ingersoll's.  But 
he  has  a  great  spirit  of  investigation." 

(What  of  his  general  career  and  success  ?) 

"  His  life  has  been  varied.  He  has  kept  himself 
prominent  and  in  good  repute.  He  has  an  extensive 
reputation  —  standing  high  with  thinking  people,  and 
the  working  classes  consider  him  their  friend. 

"  He  has  encountered  some  difficulties,  but  is  success- 
ful upon  the  whole.  He  is  well  received  and  carries 


Literatttre.  131 

considerable  weight  with  the  intellectual  classes.  He 
has  overtaxed  and  fatigued  himself  and  impaired  his 
health." 

(How  does  he  compare  with  Humboldt,  Compte,  Mill, 
Lord  Bacon,  Carlyle  and  Bulwer  as  they  have  impressed 
you  ?) 

"  He  is  not  so  theoretical  as  Compte,  not  so  great  as 
Humboldt,  not  as  great  or  brilliant  as  Bacon,  though  a 
far  better  man.  He  is  more  like  Mill  than  any  one  I 
can  think  of.  He  is  more  sound  and  practical  than 
Bulwer  and  Carlyle.  " 

A  very  similar  opinion  was  pronounced  some  years 
ago  by  Mrs.  Hayden  in  more  emphatic  language,  which 
differed  slightly  in  reference  to  the  physical  constitution 
as  it  was  given  before  the  decided  impairment  of  health 
mentioned  by  Mrs.  B. 

PROFESSOR    TYNDALL. 

"This  is  a  man.  It  inspires  me  with  almost  a  complete 
character,  well  developed,  and  refined.  The  region  of 
intellect  was  developed  very  early  in  life.  He  was  born 
for  his  position.  There  was  an  uninterrupted  develop- 
ment and  education.  He  was  not  a  self-made  man. 
He  is  an  author.  His  writing  is  in  prose.  He  has 
taken  a  decided  stand  in  opinions.  He  is  familiar  with 
matters  concerning  the  health  of  nations.  He  is  practi- 
cal,—  carries  out  his  theories  clearly,  decidedly.  He  is 
a  very  judicious  man,  seldom  mistaken.  He  is  popular 
with  many, —  is  above  the  grade  of  public  intelligence, 
having  a  very  superior  mind.  His  reputation  is  wide. 
He  has  many  warm  admirers,  devoted  to  him."  (Q. — 
How  does  he  compare  with  Compte  ?)  "  He  is  equal  to 
Compte,  but  more  advanced  in  his  knowledge,  and  less 
erratic.  He  does  not  fall  into  moods."  (Q. —  What  is 
he  as  a  lecturer?)  "  As  a  lecturer  he  is  ready,  profound 
and  thorough  ;  he  interests  his  hearers ;  he  is  an  ex- 


132  Psychometry  in 

ceedingly  pleasant  speaker."  (Q. —  What  as  a  writer?) 
"As  a  writer,  he  would  rank  among  the  first."  (Q.— 
What  of  his  religious  views  ?)  "  His  religious  ideas  are 
liberal.  He  is  skeptical,  and  slow  of  belief.  He  is  a 
fearless  and  profound  exponent  of  what  he  believes. 
He  is  very  scientific.  His  life  has  been  devoted  to 
science  and  investigation." 

PROFESSOR   HUXLEY. 

"  This  is  a  very  strong  character,  with  a  stubborn  will, 
hard  to  convince,  but  when  convinced  immovable.  He 
has  great  firmness  of  purpose.  He  has  more  method, 
he  is  more  demonstrative  and  dogmatic,  he  has  more 
intolerance  than  No.  I  (Tyndall),  but  is  fully  equal  in 
ability.  He  would  be  disposed  to  run  into  the  same 
investigations,  but  takes  a  different  method.  Upon  the 
whole,  they  are  about  equal.  This  one  has  more  poetry, 
but  less  refinement ;  he  has  more  of  the  animal,  more 
inclination  to  license ;  he  has  less  appreciation  of 
woman,  might  be  jealous  of  her  intellectual  merits. 
He  has  great  self-esteem,  which  carries  him  on."  (Q. — 
What  is  he  as  a  lecturer  ?)  "  As  a  lecturer,  he  draws 
large  audiences.  He  could  make  a  fine  political  speech. 
His  writings  are  popular.  He  is  rather  a  disturber  of 
the  old  order  of  things."  (Q. —  What  of  his  religion  ?) 
"  His  religion  is  only  Nature.  He  is  not  entirely  skepti- 
cal as  to  futurity,  but  does  not  tell  his  views  freely." 

JOHN    STUART    MILL. 

"This  seems  different  from  Nos.  i  and  2  ;  full  of  me- 
thod, not  so  rapid,  more  deliberate,  but,  when  fully  pre- 
pared, has  great  brilliancy  and  power.  This  is  a  prefera- 
ble character  to  Nos.  i  and  2  (Tyndall  aud  Huxley),  one 
whom  women  could  love."  (Q. —  What,  as  a  writer?) 
"  He  would  write  upon  the  establishment  of  new  systems, 
and  renovating  the  old :  is  a  philosopher  and  reformer. 
He  has  a  great  desire  not  to  break  up,  but  to  adjust, 


Literature.  133 

governments  and  all  political  and  religious  affairs.  He 
shows  great  ability,  and  has  been  sharply  criticised  for 
his  ideas,  but  he  does  not  fear  it.  He  cares  little  for 
public  opinion.  He  is  a  well-adjusted  man,  of  firm 
brain, —  not  vain  nor  ostentatious.  He  stands  high 
among  thinking  men.  His  opinions  would  be  quoted, 
and  he  would  rank  as  a  great  mind."  (Q. —  How  does 
he  compare  with  others  ?)  "  I  feel  that  he  has  made 
great  discoveries.  He  is  like  Dr.  Buchanan  in  many 
things.  I  would  estimate  him  upon  the  whole  above 
Nos.  i  and  2,  not  as  enthusiastic  in  his  opinions  as 
Compte,  but  a  sounder  mind  ;  not  erratic.  He  is  a 
great  philosopher  and  reformer,  and  has  acquired  a  great 
deal  by  hard  study." 

SHAKESPEARE. 

April  23,  1885,  I  gave  her  an  excellent  photograph  of 
Shakespeare  as  a  man  to  be  described  unseen.  She 
said  :  — 

"  I  like  the  feeling  of  this  ;  it  brings  a  genial  glow,  — 
such  a  feeling  as  I  have  in  thinking  of  some  grand, 
noble  woman.  This  person  has  a  wonderful,  far-seeing 
mind.  He  had  psychometric  power.  I  don't  think  he 
is  living. 

"  He  does  not  seem  a  philanthropist,  but  fond  of 
influence  and  popularity.  A  strong  willed  man  —  of 
strong  determination.  He  was  social  and  convivial  — 
knew  he  had  something  to  give  the  world,  and  was 
anxious  to  do  it. 

"  I  do  not  place  him  among  the  nobility,  but  he  was 
not  a  commonplace  man.  He  was  a  foreigner,  a  writer, 
a  literary  man.  It  seems  to  me  he  was  a  writer  of 
plays.  I  find  a  poetical  element.  He  did  not  live  long 
enough  to  finish  his  career,  but  what  he  wrote  was 
accepted  by  the  people  of  his  own  and  other  countries. 
His  reputation  is  high  to-day  —  perhaps  higher  than 
ever.  His  reputation  has  been  gaining. 


134  Psychometry  in 

"He  was  something  like  Dickens  in  character.  There 
was  a  good  deal  of  sadness  in  his  interior  life  the 
public  did  not  see.  He  had  a  deep  nature  and  his  writ- 
ings were  not  always  in  the  same  vein.  He  seems  like 
one  of  the  dramatists.  He  was  an  Englishman.  He 
would  compare  with  Shakespeare  and  Bulwer.  A  flash 
of  impression  now  and  then  suggests  Shakespeare. 
He  was  keen  and  witty.  His  comparisons  were  adroitly 
made.  He  had  a  wonderful  individuality  in  his  writing. 
I  think  he  was  inspired.  I  think  he  wrote  under  inspi- 
ration a  great  part  of  his  time  —  psychometric  inspira- 
tion. His  expresions  had  a  prophetic  character  to  a 
careful  reader  —  a  prophetic  wisdom.  I  feel  now  a 
strong  admiration  for  this  character  —  there  was  no 
one  like  him.  He  was  the  chief  among  all  the  dra- 
matic writers.  He  fills  my  mind  with  tragic  ideas. 
Richard  the  Third  and  Othello  come  to  my  mind  and 
Midsummer  Night's  Dream.  I  think  it  is  Shakespeare 
as  it  brings  up  those  plays." 

In  this  case  she  felt  the  influence  of  the  picture  so 
completely  by  touch  as  to  induce  her  to  say  that  she 
believed  the  picture  was  in  her  hands  upside  down, 
which  was  the  fact.  Her  fingers  recognized  the  head 
as  the  lower  part  of  the  picture. 

The  psychometric  description  of  Shakespeare  by  Mrs. 
Hayden  developed  the  same  sympathy  and  admiration 
as  follows  :  — 

"This  feels  good,  genial,  warm  —  like  meeting  a 
friend.  There  is  a  warmth  that  can't  be  mistaken  —  a 
great  wealth  of  mind — rich  with  all  that  is  delightful 
and  lovely.  I  can't  talk  —  I  can't  express  it  fully  — 
can't  do  this  individual  justice.  I'm  delighted  with  it. 
It  is  a  beautiful  face  in  outlines  and  symmetry.  No  sen- 
suality here.  It  gives  me  the  feeling  of  a  reformer,  a 
frank  freethinker  He  lo^es  progress  —  has  given  up 


Literature.  135 

the  spirit  of  the  dark  ages.  Seems  a  statesman  and  a 
poet  —  a  controlling  influence  —  a  power  that  leads  and 
guides  others  with  his  councils.  He  is  not  in  this 
world,  not  on  earth  —  gone  sometime,  but  left  a  name 
that  will  never  die.  He  had  a  versatility  of  power  — 
could  catch  up  his  pen  and  write — could  direct  and 
instruct  others  —  had  great  versatility  of  power.  You 
had  but  to  know  him  to  love  him.  He  could  not  have 
done  a  mean  act."  (What  as  a  writer  ?)  "  One  of  great 
power  —  very  clear,  of  great  descriptive  power.  He 
brought  the  picture  right  before  you  —  nothing  prosy  — 
there  was  too  much  matter-of-fact  for  a  mere  poet  —  it 
was  not  fiction,  but  he  might  have  been  a  great  drama- 
tist. His  description  is  unusually  clear.  There  was  a 
moral  in  his  writings."  (Does  he  resemble  Bulwer?) 
"  No,  he  is  very  different.  When  I  saw  Bulwer  at  Kenil- 
worth  he  impressed  me  very  differently  from  this." 

MILTON. 

"This  produces  an  easy,  glowing,  dreamy  feeling  — 
takes  me  to  a  spiritual  region.  This  feeling  is  exceed- 
ingly luminous  and  highly  intellectual.  It  produces  a 
different  surrounding  from  anything  I  ever  came  in 
contact  with. 

"There  seems  to  be  such  an  amount  of  power  and 
intensity  of  thought,  taking  such  a  wide  range,  I  can 
scarcely  bring  it  to  a  point  for  anything  specific. 

"  This  person  was  thoroughly  magnetic  —  had  great 
magnetic  power  —  far-reaching.  His  mind  would  soar 
above  the  ordinary  minds  it  came  in  contact  with.  It 
was  a  leader  of  exceedingly  fine  organization.  He  had 
the  love  element,  well-balanced,  universal. 

"  He  had  great  intellectual  powers.  Nature  did 
much,  and  education  and  surroundings  added  to  his 
powers  to  make  him  great.  His  writings  would  be 
quoted  and  respected  among  all  classes  for  their  ability. 
He  loved  humanity,  he  recognized  God." 

(Q.  —  Living  or  dead  —  male  or  female  ?) 


136  Psychometry  in 

"  A  male  and  in  the  spirit  world.     It  seems  fresh  - 
seems  near." 

(What  was  the  earthly  career  ?) 

"  One  of  great  activity.  He  wrote  a  great  deal  of 
prose  I  do  not  feel  the  poetical  so  much.  He  was  familiar 
with  literature,  science,  and  history,  and  used  them.  He 
was  radical  —  more  democratic  than  monarchic  —  liberal 
in  his  views,  liking  a  government  good  for  all  classes. 
He  believed  in  divorce  for  causes  such  as  incompati- 
bility or  physical  discord.  His  own  domestic  life  was 
not  as  happy  as  he  would  wish,  but  not  as  bitter  an 
experience  as  Dr.  Gall  or  Socrates.  He  had  many 
clouds  to  contend  with.  There  seemed  to  be  clouds  as 
if  he  was  in  darkness. 

"  He  realized  some  reputation  in  life,  but  like  many 
superior  men,  his  writings  have  lived  beyond  the  tomb, 
and  he  has  more  reputation  now." 

(Q.  —  If  he  wrote  poetry,  what  would  be  its  char- 
acter ?) 

"  His  poetry  would  partake  of  the  grand  and  terrific. 
It  would  not  be  of  the  sentimental,  like  Moore.  Milton 
comes  into  my  mind.  His  poetry  would  be  decidedly 
intellectual.  It  takes  a  scholar  to  appreciate  it.  It 
was  like  Dante  also.  When  he  gave  his  friendship  it 
was  lasting.  You  could  have  no  better  friend." 

SIR   WALTER   SCOTT. 

"This  has  a  comfortable,  natural  feeling — not  an 
excitable  influence.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  inspiration 
about  it.  I  should  think  this  person  was  a  writer.  It 
is  a  man.  If  I  felt  in  a  more  intellectual  mood  I  might 
go  into  ecstasies  over  this  author  He  is  not  living  — 
he  is  one  of  the  poets  of  the  past 

"  He  had  a  very  ardent  nature,  full  of  fire  and  earnest 
ness.  His  poems  were  very  descriptive  Whatever 
might  be  his  themes  they  were  very  descriptive.  There 
seems  to  be  a  martial  tone  to  his  poetry.  He  is  Scotch 


Literature.  137 

or  Irish ;  but  he  does  not  seem  Irish  —  not  like  Moore, 
more  like  Byron  —  he  is  a  Scotch  poet.  Who  is  the 
author  of  the  "  Lady  of  the  Lake  "  ?  I  think  he  was 
the  author  of  it,  but  the  name  escapes  me. 

"  He  was  a  titled  man  —  his  life  was  literary." 

(What  else  beside  poetry  did  he  write  ? ) 

"I  think  his  prose  partook  of  the  historical  character. 
I  think  he  was  a  historian  ;  he  may  have  written  on 
political  and  ecclesiastical  subjects. 

"  He  was  musical,  had  fine  sensibilities.  He  could 
write  on  jurisprudence,  I  think.  His  inclination  was  to 
poetry.  He  was  a  man  of  deep  feelings,  and  could 
express  them  better  in  poetry.  He  could  write  plays 
and  fiction.  Fiction  was  not  his  forte,  but  he  could 
succeed  in  it,  because  he  wrote  so  vividly.  He  some- 
times indulged  in  the  humorous  or  amusing.  It  was 
easy  for  him  to  go  from  the  pathetic  to  the  humorous. 
It  was  his  born  in  him.  His  novels  would  be  founded 
on  facts,  somewhat  like  Dickens,  though  he  was  a  very 
different  writer.  He  was  faithful  to  nature  —  he  could 
depict  the  elements  with  great  descriptive  power. 

"  He  had  ups,  and  downs,  and  perplexities  in  his  life, 
but  always  ranked  high  before  the  public.  I  think  he 
was  contemporary  with  Moore.  I  think  they  were 
friends.  He  lived  to  develop  his  genius,  and  make  a 
lasting  name. 

"  He  was  highly  prized  in  society,  being  genial  and 
social  in  his  nature,  jovial  with  men,  full  of  anecdote  — 
a  good  companion.  I  think  he  had  a  happy  home.  He 
was  domestic  in  feeling,  but  monarchic  in  his  theories, 
as  that  seemed  to  him  the  best  form  of  government. 
He  brings  up  Scotch  poetry  to  my  mind.'1 

(What  as  to  Spiritualism  ? ) 

"  He  had  some  weird  ideas,  but  could  not  be  called  a 
Spiritualist/' 

(What  can  you  say  of  his  head  ? ) 

'•It  was  high  in  the  moral  region," 


1 38  Psychometry  in 

I  then  showed  her  the  picture,  but  she  did  not  rec- 
ognize it,  and  could  not  think  of  the  name  —  her  mem- 
ory of  names  is  very  defective.  The  face  of  Scott  is  a 
beautiful  illustration  of  the  true  principles  of  Physiog- 
nomy, and  his  head  indicates  a  very  strong  and  noble 
character,  being  high  and  deep. 

In  MRS.  HAYDEN'S  description  of  Scott,  she  said  he 
was  "  very  brilliant  in  conversation,  witty,  original,  and 
very  pleasing.  His  company  was  sought.  He  had 
great  wealth  of  mind.  He  was  not  very  religious  in 
the  sectarian  way.  He  seems  like  a  historian.  If  he 
wrote  fiction  it  would  be  peculiar —  truth  as  the  founda- 
tion—  not  mere  fiction,  but  historical.  He  is  a  man  of 
very  sound  judgment  and  deep  ideas  —  perhaps  a  little 
dry  from  his  matter-of-fact  way.  I  'd  like  to  hear  him 
talk  rather  than  hear  his  writings.  He  has  a  fine  face. 
I  like  his  influence.  His  integrity  is  marked.  What- 
ever he  believed  he  had  the  courage  to  express.  He 
passed  away  before  much  was  said  about  Spiritualism. 
If  he  had  been  living  he  would  have  adopted  it.  He 
was  an  irreparable  loss  to  the  society  in  which  he 

moved. 

HOMER. 

The  school  of  German  skeptics  having  thrown  doubt 
upon  the  very  existence  of  Homer,  as  another  class  of 
skeptics  doubt  the  existence  of  Biblical  characters,  this 
gave  me  an  additional  interest  in  verifying  his  existence 
and  character.  The  following  opinion  was  based  on  an 
old  (unseen)  engraving  of  Homer's  bust. 

"This  is  an  ancient  character  —  very  ancient.  He 
was  very  brilliant,  and  of  a  buoyant  nature.  He  looked 
upon  the  world  with  great  satisfaction.  He  was  a 


Literature.  139 

writer."  (I  asked  for  a  more  definite  statement  of  his 
chronology,  but  as  Mrs.  B.  is  somewhat  defective  in 
numbers  or  calculation  she  could  not  give  any  definite 
reply.) 

(What  do  you  say  of  the  people  and  climate  of  the 
country  where  he  lived  ? ) 

"  It  was  a  very  genial  climate,  and  a  genial  good  feel- 
ing prevailed.  It  does  not  seem  a  time  of  bloodshed. 
It  is  a  very  congenial  influence.  It  takes  me  to  Greece. 
I  wonder  if  he  was  not  a  Greek.  It  brings  a  variety  of 
scenes,  an  age  of  unfoldment  and  athletic  sports,  sculp- 
ture, grandeur,  great  processions. 

"  It  seems  as  though  he  was  a  poet  and  wrote  blank 
verse.  He  wrote  on  solid  subjects.  Everything  he 
wrote  has  to  be  translated  into  our  language.  He  was 
one  of  the  old  Greek  poets ;  very  inspirational,  wise, 
and  scholarly ;  not  an  orator,  but  a  man  of  thought  and 
feeling.  He  is  known  to-day  only  from  his  writings." 

(What  of  his  personal  life  ? ) 

"  His  personal  life  was  very  harmonious  — he  enjoyed 
life.  If  living  to-day  he  would  be  called  a  medium. 
He  communed  with  the  invisibles,  felt  their  influence 
and  inspiration.  He  had  a  very  harmonious,  beautiful 
nature,  was  very  simple  in  his  manner  of  living,  did  not 
cater  to  his  personal  desires,  was  self-sacrificing,  had 
few  desires  for  his  personal  comforts.  I  think  he  was 
poor.  I  see  no  grandeur  in  his  immediate  surroundings. 
He  was  modest,  and  did  not  care  for  it,  but  had  enough 
for  his  daily  wants.  If  he  did  not  he  would  not  care 
for  it." 

(What  of  his  domestic  life  ?) 

"He  was  married — and  agreeably  ;  there  was  no  dis- 
cord in  his  conjugal  life. 

(Was  he  ever  poor  enough  to  beg  ? ) 

"  He  was  very  poor.  He  might  beg  if  his  bodily  and 
mental  sufferings  were  great  enough.  His  genius  was 
not  appreciated  as  it  is  now.  People  were  given  more 


140  Psychometry  in 

to  the  physical.  They  would  think  a  poet  of  little  value. 
But  he  had  a  few  choice  appreciative  friends." 

(What  of  his  religion  ? ) 

"  He  was  a  religious  man,  drawing  his  inspiration 
from  the  universe.  From  his  interior  nature  he  could 
write  grand  things.  He  was  a  wonderful  man.  He  is 
better  understood  to-day  than  in  his  own  age.  His 
writings  are  quoted  to-day.  He  had  a  deep  religious 
nature.  He  was  not  acquainted  with  Christianity.  He 
looked  to  the  grandeur  and  beauty  of  the  universe  and 
supreme  power.  Perhaps  he  may  have  believed  in  dei- 
ties of  a  lower  grade,  and  in  the  elements.  He  saw 
God  in  all.  I  admire  his  sentiments,  but  I  have  never 
read  any  of  his  writings." 

(Did  he  believe  in  communication  with  the  spirit 
world  ? ) 

"  He  did ;  ne  had  evidence  in  his  own  experience  of 
the  power  of  the  departed  to  commune  with  us.  He 
has  exerted  an  influence  himself  as  a  spirit  upon  poets 
of  ancient  and  modern  times.  It  brings  up  Mrs. 
Hemans ;  perhaps  he  inspired  her.  He  inspired  Milton 
and  Shakespeare.  I  think  it  is  Homer.  ' 

As  to  his  inspiring  his  admirers,  I  recollect  a  sugges- 
tion in  Plato's  writings  —  that  an  eloquent  reader  of 
Homer's  poems  was  actually  inspired  by  the  spirit  of 
Homer. 

VICTOR  HUGO. 

(By  Mr.  B.,  of  the  New  York  Bar,  1878.) 

" A  powerful  man  ;  intellectual;  an  old  man.  He'll 
never  be  any  older.  He's  old  in  years,  but  fresh  and 
vigorous  as  a  boy. 

"  He 's  a  creator.  If  an  architect,  he  'd  copy  from  no 
one;  if  a  painter,  his  style  is  his  own  :  if  a  writer,  he's 
different  from  any  one  else.  He's  crisp,  sharp,  epigram- 
matic. If  he  were  here,  in  a  few  sentences  he  'd  instantly 
impress  you  as  a  remarkable  man. 


Literature.  141 

"  He's  a  historian, —  a  historical  writer, —  or,  if  not,  he 
ought  to  be.  It  ought  to  be  his  profession.  He  would 
be  unequalled.  It  might  not  all  be  true,  but  it  would 
be  interesting. 

"  He  isn't  dead.  He  would  be  fairly  disposed  to  inves- 
tigate new  truths.  He  does  not  believe  in  falsehood 
because  it  is  venerable.  He's  a  sort  of  socialistic  re- 
former ;  a  man  of  the  people ;  most  intense  in  feeling 
and  expression.  He  has  an  utter  contempt  for  a  rotten 
government  or  a  system  of  theology  not  well  founded, 
or  anything  else  false.  He  is  incapable  of  forgiving 
wrong,  injury,  or  irTsult. 

"  His  style  is  too  intense  and  wild,  but  it  is  attractive. 
He  is  a  positive  thinker — not  satisfied  with  less  than 
absolute  proof.  He  enjoys  life  —  loves  good  eating  and 
drinking  and  physical  enjoyment." 

As  to  Hugo's  habits  and  character,  there  is  a  good 
illustration  of  the  foregoing  description  in  the  remarks 
of  H.  H.  Boyesen,  since  the  death  of  Hugo,  who  says, 
"In  1879  he  looked  wonderfully  vigorous,  and  his  gait 
and  voice  were  those  of  a  young  man."  "  He  rose  at 
five  in  the  morning  and  worked  till  eight."  "At  dinner 
he  appeared  to  the  best  advantage,  and  his  conversa- 
tional powers  were  most  brilliant.  As  Daudet  once  said, 
he  ate  with  "  the  magnificent  insolence  of  a  man  who 
always  feels  well,  bathes  in  ice  water,  and  works  with  his 
windows  open."  "  While  the  young  authors  and  depu- 
ties who  sat  at  his  table  selected  carefully  the  most 
easily  digestible  dishes,  the  hearty  octogenarian  con- 
sumed tarts,  cucumbers,  and  lobster  salads  with  superb 
unconcern."  "Victor  Hugo's  presence  was  most  im- 
pressive, his  bearing  courtly  and  erect,  and  his  manner 
never  devoid  of  a  certain  ceremoniousness,  which  was  a 
fine  mixture  of  courtliness  and  dignity." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

PROPHETIC   INTUITION. 

Antagonism  of  the  world's  present  condition  to  the  higher  faculties  of 
man  —  Foresight  inseparable  from  intelligence  —  Prophecy  belongs  to 
intuition  —  Evils  of  credulity  —  Recognition  of  the  prophetic  power 
by  St.  Paul,  by  the  ancients,  by  Machiavel,  by  many  eminent  men,  by 
Athenagoras,  the  Sybils,  the  Druids,  Jamblicus,  Maupertuis,  Sir  Henry 
Halford,  Areteus,  Cicero,  Dr.  Hoffman,  Dr.  Sprengel,  Dr.  Georget, 
the  Committee  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Medicine,  M.  Chardel,  the 
philosopher  Schelling,  Goethe,  Swedenborg  —  Gazette's  prophecy  — 
Hoag's  prophecy  of  our  civil  war  —  Prophecy  of  the  downfall  of  the 
Pope's  temporal  power,  and  reformation  of  the  church  —  Modus  ope- 
randi  of  prophecy  —  Law  of  periodicity  —  Future  fate  of  the  United 
States. 

PROPHECY  IN  PUBLIC  AFFAIRS.  —  Prophecy  as  to  Ireland — Prophecy 
in  Egyptian  affairs  —  Description  of  Arabi  Pasha  and  his  fate  —  Opin- 
ion of  Khedive  Ismail  —  Investigation  of  El  Mahdi  in  1883  —  The 
progress  of  affairs  in  Egypt  and  the  Soudan  illustrates  the  opinion  — 
Absurd  and  wicked  management  of  the  war  —  Vindication  of  El 
Mahdi  —  Second  description  and  its  verification  in  1884  —  Third  de- 
scription in  1885  and  prophecy  of  universal  peace  —  Description  by 
pupils  in  Psychometry  —  Comments  on  the  descriptions  —  Psycho- 
metric report  on  El  Mahdi's  picture  —  His  personal  history — Descrip- 
'tion  of  Mohammed  —  Death  of  Alexander,  D'Israeli,  and  Garibaldi 
predicted  —  Description  of  the  Czar  Alexander  —  Psychometric  view 
of  Russia  and  England  —  Foreign  news  in  March,  1885  —  Psychome- 
tric opinion  on  the  condition  —  The  Czar  and  his  purposes  —  Foreign 
news  in  April  indicating  war  —  Prophecy  repeated  —  Repeated  again 
—  Censure  of  the  church  —  France  and  China  in  April  —  Psychome- 
tric description  and  prediction  —  Psychometric  description  of  the 
Hon.  Joseph  Chamberlain  of  England  —  Poem  addressed  to  Cor- 
nelia. 

Quench  not  the  spirit  —  despise  not  prophesyings.  Thes.  5,  20. 
"  Follow  after  charity  and  spiritual  gifts,  but  rather  that  ye  may  pro- 
phesy. .  .  He  that  prophesieth  speaketh  unto  men  to  edification  and  ex- 
142 


Prophetic  Intuitior.  143 

hortation  and  comfort."  "  He  that  prophesieth  edifieth  the  church."  "  I 
would  that  ye  all  spake  with  tongues,  but  rather  that  ye  prophesied." 
1  Cor.  11. 

The  higher  any  faculty  rises  in  its  character,  the 
nearer  it  approaches  a  spiritual  and  divine  nature. 
The  more  thoroughly  the  divine  inspiration  appears  in 
its  manifestations,  the  more  repugnant  does  it  become 
to  the  animal  nature  of  man ;  and  there  is  no  better  evi- 
dence of  the  extent  to  which  a  nation,  a  community,  or 
a  class  is  sunk  in  selfishness  and  animalism  than  its 
repugnance  to  understanding,  appreciating,  or  even 
tolerating  the  most  sacred  phenomena  of  life.  How 
can  European  nations  be  expected  to  make  progress  in 
the  sacred  philosophy  which  comprehends  the  mysteries 
of  life  when  they  are  still  in  their  national  bearing  as 
morally  barbarous  as  in  the  days  of  Caesar,  and  face  each 
other,  arms  in  hand,  like  kennels  of  wild  beasts,  waiting 
only  for  a  convenient  opportunity  to  devour  each  other 
with  the  least  difficulty  and  danger,  without  sufficient 
moral  sentiment  anywhere  to  interpose  between  the 
ferocious  combatants,  and  command  the  peace.  It  is 
due  to  the  moral  power  of  Gladstone  alone  that  we  are 
not  to-day  looking  on  cannonade  and  slaughter. 

In  the  midst  of  these  ferocious  powers  and  in  full 
sympathy  with  them,  stands  the  church, — a  participant 
in  all  their  feuds,  not  a  soothing  and  restraining  power, 
but  an  accessary  to  their  dark  deeds.  The  college  is 
the  same — it  perpetuates  the  glory  of  criminal  warriors 
and  sends  forth  no  aspiration  to  a  higher  social  condi- 
tion. 

Psychometry  therefore  has  no  home  in  either  state, 
church,  or  college,  until  a  nobler  century  shall  have 


144  Prophetic  Intuition. 

arrived,  when  a  genial  and  religious  philosophy  shall 
comprehend  man's  highest  nature.  My  modest  presen- 
tation of  the  science  in  the  middle  of  this  century  seems 
to  have  produced  but  little  more  effect  than  a  whisper 
addressed  to  a  mob,  and  I  might  not  have  presented  the 
subject  again,  but  for  the  fact  that  I  have  survived  long 
enough  to  reach  a  more  progressive  period,  in  which 
the  laws  of  Destiny  assure  me  that  the  century  will  not 
pass  without  an  honorable  recognition  of  the  truth. 

As  a  part  of  this  great  truth  I  present  the  prophetic 
power  of  the  divine  element  in  man,  so  stolidly  ignored 
to-day.  Forecast  or  prophesy  is  inseparable  from  intel- 
ligence. If  we  were  deprived  of  this  power  we  would 
be  reduced  to  helpless  idiocy,  unable  to  do  anything. 
The  perfect  nescience  of  metaphysical  speculation  ap- 
proximates this  form  of  idiocy.  Pyrrhonic  skepticism 
ignores  the  relation  of  cause  and  effect,  and  would  pre- 
vent one  from  knowing  that  he  would  be  killed  by 
walking  over  a  precipice.  In  that  condition,  destitute 
of  forecast,  men  would  be  like  the  brainless  hens  experi- 
mented on  by  Flourens,  incapable  of  acting  from  the 
inability  to  have  an  idea  of  doing  anything. 

No  one  can  deny  the  power  of  foreseeing  many 
events  of  which  we  comprehend  the  causes,  and  thus 
making  scientific  prophecies.  The  range  of  astronom- 
ical forecast  is  immense,  and  it  is  equally  great  along 
any  line  of  simple  causation.  It  is  only  when  the 
number  of  conspiring  causes  which  affect  the  event 
become  too  great  and  conflicting  for  exact  estimate, 
that  we  feel  our  incompetence  as  to  prediction,  and  yet 
shrewd  men  are  continually  predicting  with  various 


Prophetic  Intuition.  145 

degrees  of  success,  the  conduct  of  individuals,  the 
course  of  commerce,  and  the  conduct  of  nations. 

Whether  complex  affairs  can  be  predictively  compre- 
hended and  their  possible  result  at  a  remote  period 
foreseen,  is  the  question.  It  is  obvious  that  this  cannot 
be  done  by  the  same  mental  processes  by  which  we 
construct  a  house,  transact  commercial  business  or 
determine  the  construction  of  a -road,  for  the  compre- 
hension of  a  remote  event  in  human  affairs  involves 
the  appreciation  of  so  many  contributory  causes,  that 
we  may  safely  say  no  human  intellect  can  grasp,  even 
if  it  could  ascertain  them,  and  therefore  no  human  in- 
tellect by  any  reasoning  process  can  prophesy  as  to  the 
remote  and  complex. 

Prophecy  in  the  proper  sense  of  the  word  is  possible 
only  when  there  are  intuitive  faculties  at  work  which 
have  a  far  wider  range  than  the  external  intellect,  and 
which  in  a  semi-omniscient  correlation  with  the  entire 
sphere  of  complexity,  feel  its  aggregate  drift  and  re- 
sults. The  working  of  these  divine  powers  has  been 
recognized  by  the  enlightened  in  all  ages.  In  present- 
ing their  claims  to-day,  I  should  very  much  regret  their 
credulous  acceptance  by  persons  who  without  carefully 
ascertaining  the  existence  of  prophetic  power,  should 
trust  to  the  predictions  of  a  class  of  psychometric  and 
mediumistic  persons  who  assume  to  speak  of  the  future 
without  any  real  foresight.  I  refer  to  the  warning  ex- 
ample of  a  gentleman  of  fine  intelligence,  integrity, 
and  moral  worth,  who  has  been  reduced  to  abject  pov- 
erty, suffering  and  despair  by  trusting  to  prophetic  inti- 
mations of  his  own  future  in  a  visionary  enterprise 
commended  by  psychometers  and  mediums  whom  he 


146  Prophetic  Intuition. 

supposed  reliable  in  prediction,  because  they  had  other 
capacities.  No  prudent  individual  would  rely  upon  any 
prediction  without  some  positive  knowledge  of  the  pre- 
dictive capacity,  as  tested  by  experience. 

The  prophetic  power  is  recognized  by  St.  Paul  as  a 
common  endowment  in  the  church,  not  a  miraculous 
and  exceptional  gift.  It  was  rightly  recognized  by  him 
as  one  of  the  powers  that  should  be  developed  in  the 
church ;  for  the  religious  and  spiritual  faculties  are  the 
ones  that  nourish  and  sustain  the  prophetic  power,  and 
where  true  religion  exists,  prophetic  powers  are  as  sure 
to  be  developed  as  the  spirit  of  love  and  the  power  of 
healing.  The  general  absence  of  all  these  in  modern 
Protestant  churches  exhibits  a  declension  which  it 
would  not  be  unjust  to  call  an  apostacy. 

The  enlightened  have  ever  reckoned  propnecy  a  nor- 
mal human  faculty,  but  the  superstitious  have  supposed 
it  a  divine  manifestation  and  proof  that  the  prophet  was 
especially  connected  with  the  Deity.  This  superstition 
was  but  a  reverential  exaggeration  of  the  truth  and 
depreciation  of  humanity.  Cicero  and  the  Greek  phil- 
osophers did  not  deem  prophecy  above  the  normal 
power  of  the  soul.  Lamprias  wisely  said,  "  It  is  not 
probable  that  the  soul  gives  a  new  power  of  prophecy 
after  separation  from  the  body,  and  which  it  did  not 
before  possess.  We  may  rather  conclude  that  it  pos- 
sessed all  these  powers  during  its  union  with  the  body, 
although  in  lesser  perfection." 

I  cannot  give  the  reason  (said  Machiavel  in  a  histori- 
cal discourse),  but  it  is  an  attested  fact  in  all  history, 
both  ancient  and  modern,  that  no  great  misfortune  ever 
happened  to  a  city  or  province  that  was  not  predicted 


Prophetic  Intuition.  147 

by  some  soothsayer,  or  announced  by  revelations,  prodi- 
gies or  other  celestial  signs.  It  is  very  desirable  that 
the  matter  should  be  discussed  by  men  learned  in  mat- 
ters natural  and  supernatural,  an  advantage  that  I  do 
not  possess.  Be  that  as  it  may,  the  fact  is  undeniable." 

"  Were  we  to  give  the  names  of  all  the  known  charac- 
ters holding  a  high  position  in  science,  (says  Briere  de 
Boismont)  with  correct  judgment  and  extensive  knowl- 
edge, who  have  had  their  warnings  and  presentiments» 
we  should  find  ample  matter  for  reflection." 

He  then  narrates  a  story  coming  from  the  secretary 
of  Talleyrand,  of  his  escape  from  death  by  a  sudden 
intuition.  "  The  prince  remarked,  "  I  can  never  forget 
that  I  was  once  gifted  for  a  moment  with  an  extraordi- 
nary and  inexplicable  prescience  which  was  the  means 
of  saving  my  life ;  without  that  sudden  and  mysterious 
inspiration,  I  should  not  be  here  to  recount  these 
details." 

Athenagoras,  a  Greek  philosopher  of  the  second  cen- 
tury who  embraced  Christianity,  speaks  of  the  soul  as 
capable  of  predicting  future  events  and  curing  diseases. 

The  application  of  the  soul  power  of  somnambulists 
and  others  to  diagnosis  and  healing,  has  been  the  cause 
of  that  jealousy  of  the  medical  profession  which  has 
obscured  and  discredited  the  psychic  powers  which  have 
been  so  long  known. 

The  ancient  Sybils  predicted  like  modern  somnambu- 
lists and  mediums,  in  a  psychological  state,  St.  Justin 
says  that  after  the  afflatus  was  past,  they  had  no  recol- 
lection of  what  they  had  said. 

The  Druid  priests  were  prophets  and  physicians, 
according  to  Cicero  and  Pliny.  Cicero  speaks  espe- 


148  Prophetic  Intuition. 

daily  of  one  of  them  residing  in  Gaul,  named  Divi- 
tiacus. 

Jamblicus,  a  leading  philosopher  of  the  fourth  century, 
in  his  treatise  on  the  mysterious,  recognizes  prevision 
as  one  of  the  powers  of  the  Soul,  which  it  exercises 
more  freely  in  the  ecstatic  state  or  in  sleep,  when  it  is 
released  from  everything  corporeal.  Such  were  the 
common  doctrines  of  Plato,  Plotinus,  Proclus  and  other 
ancient  philosophers.  As  far  back  as  we  can  trace  civili- 
zation, prophecy  was  recognized  as  a  power  of  the  soul. 

Maupertuis,  a  mathematician  and  early  advocate  of 
Newtonian  system  at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth 
century,  endeavored  to  explain  philosophically  the  fac- 
ulty of  prevision  as  produced  by  the  more  exalted  con- 
dition of  the  soul. 

Sir  Henry  Halford  has  some  very  judicious  remarks  on 
this  subject  in  reviewing  the  work  of  Aretaeus  on  brain 
fever,  as  follows : 

"  The  author  Aretaeus,  states  that  the  first  effect  of 
the  subsidence  of  the  violent  excitement  is,  that  the 
patient's  mind  becomes  clear,  that  all  his  sensations  are 
exquisitely  keen  ;  that  he  is  the  first  person  to  discover 
that  he  is  about  to  die,  and  announce  this  to  the  attend- 
ants ;  that  he  seems  to  hold  converse  with  the  spirits  of 
those  who  have  departed  before  him,  as  if  they  stood  in 
his  presence  ;  and  that  his  soul  acquires  a  prophetic 
power.  The  author  with  all  the  appearance  of  being 
himself  convinced  that  this  power  has  really  been  ac- 
quired by  the  patient  in  the  last  hour  of  his  life,  re- 
marks that  the  bystanders  fancy  him  to  be  rambling 
and  talking  nonsense,  but  that  they  are  afterwards  as- 
tounded at  the  coming  to  pass  of  the  events  which  had 


Prophetic  Intuition.  149 

been  predicted.  Indeed  he  attempts  to  account  for  it 
by  supposing  that  the  soul  whilst,  "  shuffling  off  this 
mortal  coil "  whilst  disengaging  itself  from  the  incum- 
brance  of  the  body,  becomes  purer,  more  essential,  en- 
tirely spiritual,  as  if  it  had  already  commenced  its  new 
existence." 

"That  a  prophetic  power  did  attend  man's  last 
hour  generally  was  a  notion  entertained  of  old,  and  has 
been  transmitted  down  to  us  from  the  earliest  records 
of  mankind.  We  read  in  the  Pentateuch,  that,  "  when 
Jacob  had  made  an  end  of  commanding  his  sons,  he 
drew  up  his  feet  into  the  bed  and  yielded  up  the  ghost." 
Now  with  these  solemn  injunctions  were  mixed  up 
much  prophetic  matter,  many  predictions  of  their  future 
fate  and  fortunes ;  as  for  instance  "  the  sceptre  shall 
not  depart  from  Judah,  nor  a  lawgiver  from  between  his 
feet,  until  Shiloh  come,  and  to  him  shall  the  gathering 
of  the  people  be." 

Sir  Henry  continues,  referring  to  the  prophecies  of 
Isaiah  and  the  Sibylline  leaves  —  "  What  wonder  then 
if  the  philosophers,  both  Grecian  and  Roman,  if  the 
poets,  (who  may  be  considered  as  historians  of  popular 
notions)  concurred  in  transmitting  down  this  accredited 
opinion  ?  Cicero,  a  most  accomplished  philosopher  as 
well  as  orator,  himself  an  augur  too,  and  therefore  prob- 
ably well  acquainted  with  the  contents  of  the  Sibylline 
leaves  (for  they  were  committed  to  the  custody  of  the 
College  of  Augurs)  in  his  first  work  on  Divination,  gives 
a  story  of  the  prediction  of  the  death  of  Alexander  the 
Great,  by  an  Indian  about  to  die  on  the  funeral  pile." 

The  language  of  Cicero  is  as  follows  :  "  When  the 
mind  is  separated  by  sleep  from  the  society  and  conta- 


150  Prophetic  Intuition. 

gion  of  the  body,  it  then  remembers  the  past,  perceives 
the  present,  and  foresees  the  future.  For  the  body  of  a 
sleeper  lies  like  that  of  one  dead,  but  the  mind  lives 
and  is  vigorous.  How  much  more  so  after  death,  when 
it  shall  have  altogether  separated  from  the  body  ?  For 
this  reason,  upon  the  approach  of  death  it  becomes  much 
more  capable  of  divination.  And  who  has  not  observed 
that  sick  persons,  especially  hysterical  females,  of  whom 
I  have  seen  several,  attacked  with  cataleptic  and  ecstatic 
affections,  either  during  or  after  the  paroxysms,  have 
predicted  fiiture  events,  and  have  spoken  in  languages 
which  they  themselves  had  never  learnt,  although  their 
parents  knew  them." 

Is  it  not  remarkable  that  facts  so  familiar  as  these 
from  the  earliest  ages  should  have  been  expelled  from 
the  colleges  and  from  the  entire  republic  of  letters, 
chiefly  by  the  agency  of  the  medical  profession,  the 
works  of  enlightened  authors  who  have  honestly  re- 
corded such  facts  being  kept  from  general  circulation. 

The  learned  Dr.  Hoffman,  physician  to  the  king  of 
Prussia,  was  one  of  those  who  recognized  the  exalted 
powers  of  the  soul ;  and  Dr.  Sprengel  who  had  no  supe- 
rior in  his  day,  in  medical  learning  says  in  his  Institutes 
of  Medicine  published  in  1810,  speaking  of  the  magnetic 
somnambulists  "that  instinct  revives,  by  means  of 
which  the  patient  acquires  a  knowledge  of  his  own 
state  of  health,  and  of  that  of  any  other  person  who  is 
placed  en  rapport  with  him — and  is  also  enabled  to  pre- 
dict the  duration  of  the  crisis  and  its  termination,  and  to 
prescribe  appropriate  remedies.  These  remedies  are 
generally  vulgar  and  domestic,  when  recommended  by 
the  rustic,  or  officinal  preparations,  when  prescribed  by 


Prophetic  Intuition.  1 5 1 

the  better  educated  man.  They  are  frequently  such  as 
a  physician  would  scarcely  think  of  prescribing  —  such 
as  culinary  salt,  a  pepper  bath,  etc., — but  in  most 
cases  they  do  good,  and  Dr.  Weinholt  does  not  recollect 
a  single  instance  in  which  they  were  administered  with- 
out beneficial  effects." 

Dr.  Sprengel  further  says  :  "  The  somnambulists  pre- 
dict the  crisis  of  their  complaints,  and  determine  their 
duration  and  end.  I  have  myself  seen  a  young  man,  a 
relation  of  my  own,  who  had  never  been  treated  in  this 
artificial  manner,  who  in  the  very  crises  themselves, 
predicted  with  the  utmost  certainty,  the  repetitions  of 
the  accesses,  prescribed  the  appropriate  remedies,  and 
foretold  the  period  when  the  disease  should  terminate." 

The  testimony  of  Dr.  Sprengel  is  the  more  valuable 
as  he  was  originally  an  opponent  of  animal  magnetism. 
Dr.  Brandis,  physician  to  the  King  of  Denmark,  was 
another  of  the  sceptical  class  who  honestly  recognized 
the  phenomena  that  he  witnessed.  "  The  magnetized 
person  (said  he)  predicts  most  exactly  the  progress  of 
his  disease,  and  especially  the  individual  incidents : 
attacks  of  convulsions,  syncope,  evacuations,  etc.,  with 
all  their  concomitant  circumstances ;  and  with  the 
same  precision  points  out  the  period  of  his  cure.  I 
confess  that  the  exactness  with  which  all  such  predic- 
tions of  our  clairvoyants,  whom  I  myself  have  hitherto 
had  an  opportunity  of  observing,  were  verified,  greatly 
astonished  me." 

Dr.  Georget,  one  of  the  most  gifted  modern  physiolo- 
gists and  physicians  of  France,  goes  so  far  as  to  say 
"  I  believe  that  no  perfect  medicine  can  exist  but 
that  of  the  somnambulists  in  everything  which  concerns 


I  tj  2  Prophetic  Intuition. 

themselves,  and  that  it  is  possible  to  derive  advantage 
from  their  admirable  instinct  in  the  case  of  other 
patients." 

The  Committee  of  the  Royal  Academy  of  Medicine 
at  Paris  (1826),  which  reported  the  truth  of  clairvoy- 
ance as  seen  in  their  experiments,  stated  also  that  they 
recognized  powers  of  prevision,  as  follows  :  "  In  two 
somnambulists  we  recognized  the  faculty  of  foreseeing 
the  acts  of  the  organism,  more  or  less  remote,  more  or 
less  complicated.  One  of  them  announced  repeatedly, 
several  months  previously,  the  day,  the  hour  and  the 
minute  of  the  access  and  return  of  epileptic  fitsT  The 
other  announced  the  period  of  his  cure.  Their  previs- 
ions were  realized  with  remarkable  exactness."  They 
also  state  that  they  found  a  somnambulist  "  who  pointed 
out  the  symptoms  of  the  diseases  of  three  persons  with 
whom  he  was  placed  in  magnetic  connection." 

It  would  be  very  unnecessary  for  me  to  quote  authori- 
ties to  illustrate  facts  which  are  so  numerous  and  well 
known  if  it  were  not  for  the  persistent  suppression  and 
concealment  of  truth  by  medical  colleges  and  other 
institutions  of  learning,  sending  forth  their  pupils  in 
profound  ignorance  of  some  of  the  most  important 
truths  in  science ;  and  not  only  ignorant  but  bitterly 
prejudiced. 

M.  Chardel,  in  an  essay  on  Physiological  Psychology,, 
observes  very  justly  that  he  could  adduce  hundreds  of 
examples  of  such  phenomena  as  the  foregoing,  as  they 
occur  in  almost  every  magnetic  treatment,  but  that  it 
seemed  superfluous  to  illustrate  thus  facts  so  amply 
established. 

The  German  philosopher  Schelling  gives  a  very  inter- 


Prophetic  Intuition.  153 

esting  narrative  (in  the  Jarbucher  der  Mediciri)  of  the 
sudden  discovery  by  a  clairvoyant  of  a  death  in  her 
family  at  a  distance  of  more  than  a  hundred  and  fifty 
leagues,  stating  at  the  same  time  that  a  letter  convey- 
ing the  intelligence  was  then  on  its  way,  which  in  a  few 
days  was  verified. 

Goethe  says  in  his  autobiography  that  his  grand- 
father had  the  power  of  prophecy,  especially  in  matters 
relating  to  himself,  of  which  he  gives  some  instances, 
and  also  says  that  persons  supposed  to  be  destitute  of 
the  power  sometimes  acquired  it  in  the  presence  of  his 
grandfather,  which  reminds  us  of  the  modern  method  of 
developing  mediumship. 

Swedenborg's  clairvoyance,  seeing  and  describing  a 
fire  in  Stockholm  when  he  was  in  Germany,  is  a  well- 
known  fact,  and  attested  by  Kant. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  abundant  illustrations  of  the 
higher  powers  of  the  soul  and  their  recognition  by  wise 
men  which  modern  materialism  conceals  and  sup- 
presses. 

But  opinions  have  little  weight  in  comparison  with 
facts.  Prophecy  is  to  me  a  fact  of  almost  daily  occur- 
rence, and  there  are  many  famous  prophecies  which 
show  the  wondrous  extent  of  this  faculty  —  none  per- 
haps more  remarkable  than  that  of  M.  CAZOTTE,  uttered 
to  a  distinguished  company  in  Paris  just  before  the 
breaking  out  of  the  French  Revolution,  in  which  he 
predicted  the  deaths  of  many  eminent  persons,  and  the 
very  mode  in  which  they  would  occur,  which  the  reader 
will  find  in  the  latter  part  of  this  volume  —  the  Ap- 
pendix. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  civil  war  of  secession  was 


154  Prophetic  Intuition. 

foreseen  and  predicted  a  quarter  of  a  century  in  ad- 
vance by  the  Quaker,  Joseph  Hoag,  who  saw  it  begin- 
ning in  religious  schisms  and  going  on  to  war. 

The  Pope's  loss  of  temporal  power  was  predicted  in 
1858.  Miss  Bremer  was  in  Rome  that  year,  residing  a 
few  weeks  in  the  Convent  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  to  wit- 
ness their  mode  of  life.  She  says  in  her  "  Switzer- 
land and  Italy,"  "  Last  evening  the  prophetic  spirit  fell 
upon  Sister  Genevieve,  under  the  influence  of  which, 
drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height,  she,  with  upraised 
arms,  foretold  the  fall  of  the  temporal  power  of  the 
Pope,  war,  bloodshed,  and  great  revolutions,  but  out  of 
which  the  Catholic  Church  shall  come  forth  renovated, 
victorious,  poor,  but  holy  and  powerful  as  in  the  earliest 
times." 

The  prediction  is  already  fulfilled  as  far  as  time  per- 
mits, and  I  believe  that  it  will  probably  all  be  fulfilled, 
for,  although  the  Catholic  Church  as  an  ecclesiasticism 
has  been  more  barbarous  and  bloody  than  any  tribe  of 
savages,  it  has  always  had  a  core  of  deep  and  fervent 
self-sacrificing  piety  and  spirituality,  surpassing  that  of 
the  followers  of  Luther  and  Calvin.  In  the  horror  that 
I  have  expressed  for  the  past  and  present,  tyrannical, 
avaricious,  warlike,  bloody,  and  cruel  condition  of  the 
so-called  Christian  Church,  the  church  of  universal 
apostacy,  I  do  not  for  a  moment  forget  that  vital  relig- 
ion, inspiration,  spirituality,  devotion,  fidelity,  love  and 
self-sacrifice  have  come  down  from  the  earliest  periods 
in  the  midst  of  all  this  corruption  and  cruelty.  Hu- 
manity is  a  marvellous  jumble  of  celestial  and  infernal 
elements,  without  the  wisdom  and  firmness  necessary 
to  bring  order  into  this  chaos  of  contradictions,  in 


Prophetic  Intuition.  1 5  5 

which  he  who  looks  for  evil  can  find  all  that  is  horrible, 
and  he  who  looks  for  good  alone,  can  find  a  heavenly 
radiance  through  all  these  dark  ages,  a  continual  succes- 
sion of  noble,  heroic  deeds,  and  a  perpetual  humanizing 
influence  for  society.  In  these  I  rejoice,  hoping  and 
believing  they  will  ultimately  prevail,  but  the  candid 
inquirer  must  recognize  as  much  truth  in  the  criticisms 
of  Voltaire  and  Ingersoll  as  in  the  more  pleasing  Gesta 
Christi  of  Mr.  Brace. 

To  return  to  these  prophecies,  their  source  and 
methods.  The  mechanism  or  modus  operandi  of  Omni- 
science can  never  be  compassed  by  man.  Prophecy  is 
too  divine  to  be  entirely  analyzed,  but  we  can  see  lines 
of  causation  along  which  any  mind  may  advance  to  the 
future,  and  concerning  which  there  is  no  dispute.  The 
range  of  astronomic  foresight  is  incalculable.  In  hu- 
man affairs  prophecy  runs  on  occult  lines.  One  of  these 
occult  lines  I  have  discovered.  It  is  the  law  of  perio- 
dicity, or  at  least  one  law  ;  I  know  not  how  many  other 
laws  may  exist.  For  thirty-five  years  I  have  been  trac- 
ing and  testing  that  law  which  governs  alike  individuals, 
nations,  and  all  known  phenomena.  I  have  found  no 
important  exception  to  its  truth  as  it  is  verified  in  my 
own  life,  in  the  progress  of  my  discoveries,  which  are 
passing  from  their  recent  Nadir  to  their  Zenith,  in  the 
lives  of  all  whom  I  have  investigated,  and  in  the  history 
of  nations.  This  law  enabled  me,  in  1859,  to  predict 
six  years  of  calamity  to  the  United  States  (in  the  Loii- 
isville  Journal}^  and  •  enables  me  now  to  predict  and 
fearlessly  announce  a  period  of  calamity  thirty  years 
hence,  culminating  to  the  worst  in  1915.  Our  first 
era  of  calamity  was  from  1812  to  1818,  signalized  by 


156  Prophecy  in 

war  and  financial  distress.  The  second  was  at  its  Nadir 
in  1865,  '66,  — the  utter  prostration  from  war.  The 
third  will  realize  its  worst  in  1914  and  1915  — a  period 
I  cannot  expect  to  witness.  What  form  will  it  assume  ? 
That  I  do  not  predict ;  but,  although  there  will  probably 
be  social  disturbances,  it  seems  more  probable  that  it  will 
be  elemental  convulsion  on  the  Pacific  side  of  the  conti- 
nent, and  I  would  prefer  not  to  reside  in  San  Francisco 
at  that  time. 

By  psychometric  intuition  and  by  scientific  prophecy 
based  on  universal  laws  and  forces,  connected  with  peri- 
odicity, which  is  as  apparent  in  a  fever  as  in  planetary 
movements,  nations,  and  individuals  will  hereafter  be 
taught  (when  true  civilization  begins)  to  advance  in 
their  destiny  with  the  same  reliable  prescience  with 
which  the  farmer  now  anticipates  the  seasons  and  his 
crops. 

PROPHECY    IN    PUBLIC    AFFAIRS. 

The  prophetic  power  is  quite  necessary  in  the  inves- 
tigation and  comprehension  of  public  affairs.  It  is  the 
one  indispensable  faculty  for  philosophic  and  statesman- 
like views.  Knowing  its  high  development  in  Mrs.  B., 
I  have  been  accustomed  to  use  her  wonderful  power  to 
elucidate  current  events  in  public  life  and  their  probable 
issue. 

When,  about  three  years  ago,  Ireland,  if  we  should 
judge  from  the  newspapers,  appeared  to  be  on  the  verge 
of  a  bloody  revolution,  I  directed  her  attention  to  the 
condition  of  that  country  in  the  usual  way,  by  a  word 
or  a  question  in  her  hand,  and  was  informed  that  there 
would  be  no  military  outbreak  —  that  the  excitement 
would  subside  and  be  quieted  within  two  years,  without 


Public  Affairs.  157 

bloodshed.  I  watched  for  the  fulfilment  of  her  predic- 
tion, and  at  the  end  of  the  two  years  the  condition  of 
the  country  was  so  quiet  and  peaceable,  that  the  magis- 
trates commented  on  the  fact  that  there  were  fewer 
crimes  than  usual. 

The  trouble  in  Egypt  early  attracted  my  attention, 
and  the  condition  has  been  psychometrically  inspected 
clown  to  the  present  time. 

On  the  appearance  of  Arabi  Pasha  there  was  a  great 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  his  character  and  his  future. 
Many  were  hailing  him  as  the  Bolivar  of  Egypt,  and  even 
so  intelligent  a  gentleman  as  M.  de  Lesseps  spoke  of  the 
probability  of  a  long,  bloody,  and  doubtful  war.  "  The 
English"  said  de  Lesseps  at  Paris,  "will  not  have  to 
fight  against  a  leader  of  insurgents,  but  against  the 
sovereign  of  an  entire  people,  since  the  whole  of  Egypt 
is  with  Arabi." 

I  procured  an  engraving  of  Arabi  and  placed  it  in  the 
hands  of  Mrs.  B.,  who,  without  seeing  it,  gave  the  fol- 
lowing impression  from  the  picture  of 

ARABI    PASHA. 

"  I  feel  that  this  is  a  restless,  great  mind  ;  it 's  a  man, 
a  character  that  never  seemed  to  be  satisfied  unless  he 
was  accomplishing  some  great  purpose.  He  seems  a 
great  worker  for  some  special  cause.  He  has  some  great 
cause  —  something  to  accomplish. 

"To  tell  the  truth,  I  don't  like  him  ;  he  's  a  partisan  ; 
he  seems  like  some  leader  ;  but  I  get  a  great  deal  of  death 
around  him,  a  great  many  spirits.  He  don't  seem  sick, 
but  I  'd  not  be  surprised  if  he  's  a  spirit  himself  before 
long.  Perhaps  he  will  not  live  long.  He  brings  me 
restless,  turbulent  scenes.  I  don't  feel  happy.  It's  all 
anxiety  and  conflict,  as  if  I  were  going  to  be  besieged. 


1 5  8  Prophecy  in 

"  I  think  the  man  is  exceedingly  shrewd,  but  at  the 
same  time  not  diplomatic.  He  wants  to  arrive  at  some 
great  position,  but  mostly  for  self-aggrandizement. 

"  He  is  not  near,  not  like  one  of  us  ;  he  seems  distant. 
His  organism  now  is  only  acting  out  his  true  character. 
It  has  been  slumbering  a  long  period,  now  he  is  acting 
out  the  full  measure  of  his  designs  ;  I  call  them  iniqui- 
tous. I  don't  like  the  man.  I  thought  at  first  he 
was  philanthropic,  but  he  is  not.  He  would  lend  him- 
self to  secret  manoeuvres  and  intrigues.  He  does  not 
value  human  life,  he  is  despotic  and  cruel.  Has  he  got 
any  negro  blood  in  him  ?  he  seems  like  Indian  or  negro ; 
he  is  not  Anglo  Saxon,  he  has  a  mingling  of  nationali- 
ties. He  has  a  taint  of  negro  and  Indian  character ;  he 
is  stealthy. 

"  He  has  a  following,  but  those  who  follow  him  are 
being  misled.  He  has  magnetic  influence  and  tactics  — 
he  buys  them  by  promises.  No  intelligent,  civilized 
people  would  follow  him.  He  would  hold  out  promises 
to  his  followers. 

"  He  seems  a  military  man.  His  career  is  not  for 
a  principle  so  much  as  policy  and  self-aggrandizement. 
He  is  in  a  plot ;  he  seems  the  originator  of  some  great 
plot  ;  some  of  the  important  actors  in  it  are  not  known. 
It  was  for  power —  to  subdue — for  some  secret  purpose 
or  some  imaginary  wrong  that  they  feel. 

"  The  great  restlessness^.ncl  turbulence  of  this  man's 
nature  must  come  out.  This  affair  is  the  outgrowth  of 
his  character.  He  is  warring  and  destroying.  I  get  all 
sorts  of  destruction,  and  missiles  of  every  form,  destroy- 
ing life  and  property.  I  see  ships.  His  career  will  end 
in  great  disgrace  if  he  does  not  lose  his  life.  Those  he 
depends  on  most  will  turn  against  him  and  become  his 
enemies.  I  feel  that  decidedly.  He  is  not  a  Napoleon 
by  any  means.  He  is  decidedly  cruel  and  does  not  re- 
gard human  life ;  yet  I  think  he  is  cowardly  as  to  his 
own  life  —  he  wants  to  live. 

"  He  brings  such  an  army  of  accusers  from  the  spirit- 


Public  Affairs.  159 

world  —  hordes  of  them.  His  career  will  not  last  long. 
If  he  were  killed,  or  should  die,  this  work,  this  disturb- 
ance would  soon  cease.  There  is  no  one  to  take  his 
place.  He  is  despotic.  It  makes  my  head  ache." 

(Q.  —  What  is  his  personal  appearance  ?) 

"  It  is  hard  to  get  his  personal  appearance.  I  think 
he  has  broad  shoulders,  is  not  a  slight  man.  His  com- 
plexion is  dark.  His  eyes  have  an  unnatural  expression 
—  all  the  fire  of  his  nature  is  concentrated  in  the  ex- 
pression of  his  face.  He  has  great  determination  —  no 
expression  of  repose — the  expression  of  a  tiger.* 

"  He  don't  seem  to  have  any  real  love.  He  would  as 
soon  war  with  his  own  father  or  brother,  as  anybody  else. 
The  result  of  his  turbulence  and  mischief  will  not  be 
advantageous  in  any  way  to  his  own  country  or  to  those 
he  endeavors  to  wrong.  He  is  not  going  to  escape  — 
he  will  be  either  captured  or  killed  —  his  career  is  short 
lived  —  the  seen  and  unseen  powers  warring  against  him 
forbid  him  to  succeed. 

"  I  wonder  if  these  scenes  are  not  in  the  Egyptian 
war.  I  see  the  shattered  walls  standing,  and  great  pil- 
lars supporting  buildings,  lying  in  confusion  and  de- 
struction." 

(You  are  right.  This  is  Arabi  Pasha.  What  do  you 
say  of  his* religious  character?) 

"  He  has  nothing  spiritual.  He  inherited  this  turbu- 
lent nature,  which  has  long  been  lying  dormant." 

The  truth  of  this  description  is  apparent  to  all  who 
have  watched  the  progress  of  events  in  Egypt.  The 
true  character  of  Arabi  was  fully  developed  by  the 
former  Khedive  Ismail  whose  opinion  was  reported  in 
the  London  Times  as  follows  : 

*  M.  de  Rossi  wrote  a  Paris  newspaper  an  account  of  an  interview  with 
Arabi,  in  which  he  says :  "  When  he  spoke  of  the  thousand  of  Marsala, 
he  grew  excited,  and  his  eyes,  which  till  then  had  been  soft  as  a  woman's, 
shot  fire  like  those  of  a  lion.  He  gesticulated  wildly,  and  once  nearly 
broke  the  apparatus  with  the  weight  of  his  fist." 


160  Prophecy  in 

"  I  do  not  for  a  moment  believe  either  in  the  genuine- 
ness, extent,  or  patriotism  of  the  so-called  National 
feeling.  The  agitation,  such  as  it  is,  is  the  natural  re- 
sult of  the  weakness  of  the  Egyptian  Government  on 
the  one  hand,  and  the  success  of  the  Turkish  intrigues 
on  the  other.  Pan-Islamism  is  as  old  as  my  time,  and 
older,  but  I  would  never  hear  of  it.  Different  counsels 
have  since  prevailed  ;  and  we  are  now  face  to  face  with 
the  consequences.  I  always  managed  by  some  means 
or  other  to  control  and  direct  the  religious  fervor  of  my 
subjects  in  Egypt,  but  when  the  control  came  from 
Constantinople  and  not  from  Cairo,  religious  fervor 
became  religious  fanaticism,  and  the  existence,  influence 
and  temporary  success  of  an  Arabi  became  a  possi- 
bility. I  remember  Arabi  well.  He  became  a  lieu- 
tenant-colonel when  very  young,  and,  in  the  second  or 
third  year  of  my  administration  was  t^ied  by  court- 
martial  for  breach  of  trust.  He  should  have  been 
broken,  but  one  of  my  generals  persuaded  me  to  par- 
don him,  and  I  did  so.  He  was  then  transferred  to 
the  Commissariat,  and  only  quite  recently  returned  to 
active  service  in  the  army.  Arabi  can  be  painted  in  a 
word  —  he  is  what  the  French  call  a  blageur.  He  can 
talk  and  do  nothing  else.  He  is  the  tool  of  Mahmoud 
Fehmy  and  Toulba,  about  both  of  whom  I  have  nothing 
good  to  say.  Arabi  is,  and  always  was,  an  arrant  cow- 
ard. I  always  said  he  would  run  away,  and  he  certainly 
decamped  very  quickly  at  Tel-el-Kebir.  The  only  brave 
men  in  his  party  are  Ah  Fehmy  and  Abdelal ;  they  are 
soldiers,  but  I  would  defy  Arabi  himself  to  define  either 
"  patriotism  "  or  "  National  feeling."  He  certainly  has 
neither  one  nor  the  other,  although  half  Europe  seems 
inclined  to  regard  him  as  the  would-be  savior  of  his 
country.  The  truth  is  that  the  Egyptian  people  must 
lean  on  something  and  follow  some  one.  The  Egyptian 
Government  was  hopelessly  weak,  and  Arabi  and  his 
friends  knew  it.  He  and  his  partisans  achieved  three, 
visible  and  striking  successes,  and  the  Egyptians  saw 


Pitblic  Affairs.  161 

this,  and  saw,  moreover,  the  representatives  of  great 
Powers  practically  in  treaty  with  him.  Arabi  pointed 
triumphantly  to  these  facts,  and  told  the  Egyptians  he 
could  and  would  restore  Egypt  to  the  Egyptians ;  and 
it  is  not  surprising  in  the  circumstances  that  the  Egyp- 
tians clung  to  him  as  the  stronger  vessel.  The  move- 
ment he  headed  was  from  the  first  actively  encouraged 
at  Constantinople,  but  it  is  very  improbable  that  either 
the  Sultan  himself  or  any  of  his  responsible  Ministers 
were  ever  in  direct  communication  either  with  him  or 
his  associates.  Direct  communication  is  not  a  feature 
of  Turkish  intrigue,  as  the  desired  effect  can  be  pro- 
duced without  it.  Arabi  and  his  accomplices  must  be 
severely  punished.  An  example  should  certainly  be 
made  of  the  leaders  of  the  revolt,  and  half-measures 
will  only  be  a  premium  to  future  disturbances.  They 
may  give  to  Egypt  a  succession  of  Arabis.  Arabi  him- 
self should  be  treated  as  a  vulgar  mutineer  and  rebel- 
lious soldier ;  to  look  on  him  as  an  Egyptian  Garibaldi 
is  a  capital  mistake,  and  one  which  augers  ill  for  the 
future/' 

The  British  government  took  this  view,  believing  that 
Arabi  did  not  represent  any  genuine  aspirations  of  the 
Egyptians,  but  merely  the  purpose  of  military  chiefs 
and  corrupt  functionaries  to  attain  power,  and  pillage 
the  tax  payers.  Acting  on  that  belief  they  wisely  sup- 
pressed him. 

When  El  Mahdi  came  forward  apparantly  in  defence 
of  the  liberty  of  his  country,  but  denounced  as  the 
false  prophet,  I  felt  a  lively  interest  and  procured  a 
psychometric  opinion  on  the  26th  of  November,  1883, 
(using  only  his  name)  as  follows  : 

EL    MAHDI.       (NOV.    26,    1883.) 

"  I  think  it  is  a  living  person,     It  produces  a  singular 


1 62  Prophecy  in 

electric  current  in  the  fingers.  I'll  have  to  wait  awhile 
and  collect  myself. 

"It  comes  to  me  as  a  person  of  great  intellectual 
vigor  —  quite  remarkable — thoroughly  original  and 
practical.  I'm  trying  to  think  what  he  does.  It  does 
not  seem  military  affairs,  yet  he  seems  a  ruler  of  some 
kind,  some  kind  of  a  potentate. 

"  I  think  he  is  very  scientific,  interested  in  scientific 
discoveries,  has  wonderful  forethought  —  is  systematic. 
I  don't  see  what  he  is  doing  now.  He  seldom  does  any- 
thing of  a  personal  character  —  always  reaching  out  for 
some  grand  or  I  might  say  humanitarian  labor. 

"He  seems  near  70,  at  least  not  a  young  man.  I 
can't  locate  him  except  in  a  foreign  country." 

(Q. —  What  kind  of  a  climate  has  his  country  ?) 

"  It  seems  warmer  than  this  —  more  genial." 

(Q. —  What  kind  of  people  are  around  him  ?) 

"He  has  a  good  many  crude  people  with  no  ideas  or 
crude  ideas." 

(Q. —  What  is  he  doing  with  them  ?) 

"  Instructing  and  developing  them.  He  seems  to 
travel  a  great  deal." 

(Q. —  How  is  he  engaged  at  this  time  ?) 

"  He  is  in  a  perplexing  condition  ;  in  a  tight  place  ; 
environed  by  some  difficulties.  The  conditions  are  not 
friendly  —  like  one  who  is  combating  and  endeavoring  to 
extricate  from  his  surrounding  conditions. 

"  He  seems  fond  of  scientific  illustrations.  He  is  not 
a  great  scientist,  but  has  an  intuitive  understanding. 
He  has  indomitable  will  and  perseverance,  throws  a 
great  deal  of  energy  and  fire  into  what  he  does.  I 
wonder  if  he  has  not  colonizing  schemes  for  developing 
countries  and  colonizing  inhabitants  —  harmonizing 
crude  elements.  He  has  a  broad  comprehensive  mind 
—  great  vigilance,  is  fearless,  would  expose  himself  to 
danger  without  consideration.  He  has  been  in  close 
proximity  to  danger  from  assault  and  capture.  He  is  in 
that  condition  now  —  with  suspicious  people  not  familiar 


Public  Afiairs.  163 


with  his  methods.  He  is  not  really  fond  of  military 
operations,  but  is  not  afraid  of  them." 

(Q.  — Has  he  been  in  any  military  operations?) 

"  He  has  but  is  not  in  love  with  it. 

"  I  feel  that  he  is  a  foreigner  —  not  an  American.  I 
get  a  foreign  element,  like  Indians  and  Chinese  — 
a  crude  people.  He  seems  alone,  single-handed  in  his 
work.  He  has  great  ambition;  likes  popularity  —  has  a 
great  deal. 

"He  is  very  penetrative.  He  likes  to  develop  the 
resources  of  people  and  countries.  He  is  a  peace  maker 
—  would  like  to  work  with  government  officials." 

(Q.  —  Has  he  been  engaged  in  war  ?) 

"  I  seem  to  get  surveying,  engineering  implements.  I 
perceive  reconstruction,  breaking  up  of  old  things,  and 
reconstructing  new.  His  warring  nature  has  been  held 
in  abeyance,  but  he  has  been,  or  is,  engaged  with 
antagonist  forces  like  war,  but  I  don't  see  fighting.  He 
is  a  good  tactician,  —  in  politics,  a  power  behind  the 
throne." 

(Q.  —  Has  there  been  a  battle  ?) 

"There  has  been  a  loss  of  life,  by  contending  warring 
forces,  yet  he  does  not  appear  as  a  military  officer,  but 
as  one  who  would  take  the  weaker  side  and  stimulate 
them  by  his  own  courage  rather  than  go  into  active  war. 
Yet  if  neccessary  he  would  do  it.  The  cause  of  contest 
would  be  the  claims  to  territory." 

( Q.  —  Will  he  have  success  or  failure  ?) 

"He  will  not  be  a  failure — not  as  successful  as  he 
anticipates,  but  in  spite  of  any  reverses  he  will  be  an 
ultimate  success  as  a  liberator  of  the  oppressed." 

(Q. — What  of  his  religion  ?) 

"  He  has  a  humane  religion,  not  cramped.  He  is 
not  a  Catholic.  He  may  be  a  Mahometan  —  more  like 
that  than  any  thing  else.  He  will  be  a  leader  and  exer- 
cise a  good  deal  of  authority.  He  has  great  ambition 
and  will  have  honors  conferred.  He  will  make  his  name 
and  mark  in  history.  He  is  capable  of  achieving  exten- 


164  Prophecy  in 

sive  influence  and  receiving  progressive  ideas  ;  possibly 
Americanized  before  he  dies  —  accepting  our  methods. 
He  does  not  love  war,  and  will  not  perpetuate  it,  though 
he  will  protect  his  people  and  insist  on  justice  to  them. 
But  the  war  will  not  continue  long.  There  is  great 
apprehension  of  continued  losses,  but  it  will  not  con- 
tinue. England  will  be  called  in,  but  rather  as  an  arbi- 
ter than  an  ally." 

(Q.  —  Has  he  any  anticipation  of  great  influence 
among  Mahometans  ?) 

"  He  is  skilful  in  curing  diseases,  and  is  a  seer  of  great 
power,  —  equal  to  Swedenborg,  though  not  in  the  same 
direction.  He  is  grandly  prophetic,  and  people  believe 
in  him.  He  is  a  medium,  likely  to  be  controlled  and 
influenced  by  Mahomet.  He  is  a  well-developed  man, 
but  of  a  very  dark  complexion  and  a  strong  physique, 
not  injured  by  active  life." 

Since  the  examination  I  have  several  times  submitted 
the  character  of  the  Mahdi  to  the  psychometric  investi- 
gation of  my  best  pupils,  and  found  a  unanimous  agree- 
ment in  the  essential  characteristics  of  the  foregoing- 
description. 

Let  us  observe  how  thoroughly  it  is  sustained  by  all 
that  we  have  heard  of  El  Mahdi  through  the  press. 

An  Egyptian  government,  the  most  profligate  and 
infamous  of  all  among  civilized  nations,  becomes  deeply 
involved  in  debt  to  foreigners  by  its  unprincipled  rulers. 
This  government  acknowledges  itself  subordinate  to 
Turkey,  and  also  claims  the  control  of  a  vast  and 
valuable  territory  in  the  Soudan,  inhabited  by  high- 
spirited  Arabs  and  harmless  blacks,  where  its  intolerable 
despotism  excites  a  revolt  of  which  El  Mahdi  becomes 
the  leading  figure. 

In  the  helpless  weakness  of  Egypt,  foreign  govern- 


P tib lie  Affairs,  165 

ments  interfere  with  no  other  pretext  than  to  secure  the 
payment  of  the  Egyptian  debt.  Great  Britain,  as  the 
custodian  of  Egypt,  assumes  to  intervene  for  its  protec- 
tion against  rebellion.  For  this  they  are  detested  by 
the  Egyptians,  who  are  ready  to  revolt  against  the  British 
authority  and  their  own  cunning  Khedive,  allied  with 
foreigners.  A  military  revolt  under  Arabi,  is  crushed  by 
British  cannon  at  Cairo.  The  revolt  in  the  Soudan  to 
throw  off  a  foreign  yoke  is  grappled  in  a  most  incompre- 
hensible manner  by  the  British  government  though  con- 
fessing in  Parliament  that  El  Mahdi  is  battling  for  liberty, 
and  that  England  will  not  undertake  his  subjugation,  yet 
a  military  force  is  sent  to  sustain  the  Egyptians,  under 
pretence  of  evacuating  the  Soudan  and  rescuing  the 
troops  of  Egypt.  Yet  why  send  troops  for  such  a  pur- 
pose ?  What  difficulty  would  there  be  in  the  withdrawal 
of  troops  if  they  surrendered  all  claim  and  proposed  a 
peaceful  evacuation  ?  The  difficulty  lay  solely  in  the 
effort  to  maintain  the  shadowy  and  worthless  claim  of 
Egypt  and  Turkey  to  the  sovereignty  of  the  Soudan.  To 
maintain  this  fictitious  title  England,  professing  to  be 
but  an  arbiter  engages  in  an  actual  war  on  a  small  scale 
against  the  people  who  are  struggling  only  for  liberty, 
and  whose  struggle  enlists  the  sympathy  of  the  Irish, 
and  the  sympathy  of  a  large  portion  of  the  English 
people. 

Possibly  there  was  another  motive,  in  the  purpose  to 
retain  the  friendship  of  Turkey  and  the  fear  that  the 
success  of  the  Mahdi  might  unite  the  Mohammedan 
population  of  India.  Another  latent  influence  was  the 
practical  control  of  Egypt  obtained  in  crushing  Arabi, 
and  the  desire  of  a  strong  party  in  England  for  the  an 


1 66  Prophecy  in 

nexation  of  Egypt,  which  would  have  excited  European 
jealousy. 

The  impossibility  of  conquering  and  holding  the  Sou- 
dan against  its  dangerous  climate  and  the  warlike 
Arabs,  under  El  Mahdi  convinced  both  England  and 
Egypt  that  evacuation  was  the  only  safe  course.  January 
8th  1884,  the  Khedive  said  to  a  correspondent  that  he 
must  abandon  the  Soudan  and  that  if  life  was  lost  in  try- 
ing to  defend  Kartoum  the  responsibility  for  this  loss  of 
life  would  rest  on  him.  Nubar  Pasha  at  the  same  time 
spoke  of  the  evacuation  of  the  Soudan  as  inevitable. 
Jan.  12,  Col.  Coetlogan  commanding  at  Kartoum  under 
Egypt,  requested  orders  for  a  retreat,  the  Mudir  of 
Kartoum  urged  the  immediate  withdrawal  of  the 
Christian  population  and  Nubar  Pasha  issued  an  order 
'  to  that  effect.  El  Mahdi  was  said  to  be  advancing  with 
a  large  force  and  the  surrender  of  Kartoum  was  de- 
manded. Gen.  Baker  urged  the  abandonment  of  Kar- 
toum, the  population  of  which  sympathized  with  the 
Mahdi  and  objected  to  resistance.  The  British  govern- 
ment thus  far  agreed  with  the  Khedive  in  reference  to 
evacuation.  The  recent  destruction  of  the  army  of 
Gen.  Hicks  in  his  attempt  at  invasion,  the  de- 
struction of  a  small  Egyptian  army  near  Suakim  in 
December,  and  the  successful  advance  of  El  Mahdi's 
army  left  no  other  course  within  the  limits  of  common 
sense  but  a  speedy  evacuation  and  friendly  negotiation 
with  the  Mahdi,  or  else  the  summoning  of  all  the  power 
of  England  to  defend  some  well  defined  territorial 
boundary.  Neither  was  done.  There  was  no  assertion 
of  a  territorial  boundary  —  no  attempt  to  negotiate  with 


Public  Affairs.  167 

the  Soudanese  —  no  determination  either  to  recognize 
the  independence  of  the  people  or  to  conquer  them. 

The  policy  of  peaceful  withdrawal  was  partly  rejected 
and  partly  adopted,  or  professed.  Military  forces  were 
sent  to  co-operate  with  Egypt  against  the  Soudanese  and 
a  contradictory  confused  policy  carried  out  —  professing 
peace  yet  practicing  war — rejecting  the  idea  of  con- 
quest, yet  assisting  the  party  that  aimed  at  conquest  — 
a  policy  which  nobody  understood  at  home  or  abroad, 
which  provoked  the  severest  denunciation  in  Parliament 
and  threats  of  resignation  from  the  Egyptian  ministry 
in  April  1884. 

A  cabinet  council  convened  in  March  was  said  to  be 
unable  to  come  to  any  conclusion,  and  it  was  said  that 
the  foreign  secretary  Earl  Granville  insisted  upon  the 
recall  of  Gen.  Gordon,  doubting  his  sanity.  The  cam- 
paign was  regarded  as  a  failure  up  to  that  time.  Mr. 
Stanley  in  the  commons  urged  the  witholding  of  sup- 
plies until  a  full  and  explicit  statement  of  the  Egyptian 
policy  should  be  made.  Sir  Wilifred  Lawson  denounced 
the  battle  of  Teb  as  a  massacre  and  the  English  policy 
as  hypocritical  and  wicked.  Mr.  Labouchere  had  pre- 
viously (in  February)  askSd  the  government  to  renounce 
its  blood-thirsty  policy ;  and  in  April  94  members  of  the 
House  of  Commons  lacking  only  ten  of  a  majority,  voted 
that  the  loss  of  British  and  Arab  life  in  the  Soudan  was 
unnecessary.  But  the  policy  was  pursued  to  still  more 
disastrous  results. 

The  change  from  the  avowed  design  of  peaceful  and 
prompt  withdrawal  without  the  use  of  British  troops 
began  apparently  in  January  1884,  soon  after  the  peace- 
ful expressions  of  the  Khedive,  who  said  to  a  corres- 


1 68  Prophecy  in 

pondent  that  he  must  abandon  the  Soudan,  and  that  if 
life  was  lost  in  defending  Kartoum  the  responsibility 
would  rest  on  himself.  This  seemed  to  be  the  policy  — 
Col.  Coetlogan  commanding  at  Kartoum,  requested 
orders  to  withdraw  from  that  city,  and  orders  were  sent 
by  Nubar  Pasha  for  the  withdrawal  of  the  Christian 
population  as  requested  by  the  Mudir.  Nubar  expressed 
his  conviction  of  the  necessity  of  giving  up  the  Soudan. 

The  change  of  policy  was  initiated  by  the  Egyptian 
war  minister,  Abd  el  Kader,  considered  a  man  of  mili- 
tary abii;ty,  who,  refusing  to  yield  Kartoum,  said  the 
Egyptian  government  had  21,000  men,  sufficient  to  hold 
the  Soudan  and  that  it  would  require  seven  months  and 
cost  a  million  of  pounds  to  evacuate. 

So  far  as  the  telegraphic  reports  explained  the  situa- 
tion, this  appeared  to  be  the  beginning  in  conjunction 
with  the  influence  of  Turkey  of  the  cruel  and  disastrous 
policy  to  which  the  British  cabinet  yielded,  costing  not 
only  a  great  loss  of  life  but  the  sacrifice  of  more  than 
sixty  millions  of  dollars — with  more  than  the  usual 
amount  of  military  blundering  and  commissariat  villa- 
nies.  The  only  excuse  publicly  given  was  that  England 
must  not  go  back  on  her  assurances  to  Egypt. 

As  late  as  January  2ist  it  was  said  that  Kartoum 
would  be  evacuated  when  the  2000  soldiers  expected 
from  Sennaar  arrived.  The  plan  of  the  Egyptian  minis- 
try when  they  determined  to  hold  on  was  to  establish  a 
new  kingdom  of  Kordofan  and  Darfoor  with  Kartoum 
as  the  capital.  It  would  be  foreign  to  my  purpose  to 
dwell  on  the  twelve  months  of  folly,  in  which  a  civilized 
nation  was  occupied  in  upholding  an  odious  despotism 
against  the  ruler  whom  the  people  longed  for.  I  speak 


Public  Affairs.  169 

of  these  things  in  justice  to  El  Mahdi  whose  noble 
character  and  whose  rights  have  been  so  shamefully 
ignored.  This  cruel  folly  is  nearing  its  end.  The  opin- 
ion of  those  familiar  with  Egpyt  is  that  England  must 
discontinue  this  course,  which  at  present  is  interrupted 
by  the  climate. 

How  much  better  would  it  have  been  to  have  carried 
out  the  policy  of  January  1884  or  to  have  acted  on  Gen- 
eral Gordon's  suggestion  to  recognize  the  independence 
of  the  Soudan.  Since  this  was  written  the  Soudan  has 
been  evacuated  and  a  criminal  folly  ended,  in  which  I 
can  but  believe  that  Mr.  Gladstone  yielded  against  his 
own  judgment  to  a  war  party  in  England. 

We  can  learn  very  little  of  El  Mahdi  —  but  the  first 
reports  of  atrocities  proved  to  be  entirely  false.  The 
army  of  Gen.  Hicks  was  entirely  annihilated  but  many 
prisoners  have  been  retained,  and  so  far  as  reports  have 
come,  prisoners  have  been  kindly  treated.  The  Mahdi 
is  said  to  have  invited  the  Frenchman  Olivier  Pain  to 
remain  with  him  and  see  that  his  policy  was  not  bar- 
barous. 

The  course  of  events  for  the  five  months  since  the 
foregoing  psychometric  description  has  been  in  accord- 
ance with  it.  On  the  2ist  of  January  1884  four  ladies 
were  present  in  our  parlor  and  to  give  them  an  illustra- 
tion of  psychometry,  I  placed  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  B, 
the  words  "  El  Mahdi  the  Prophet "  asking  her  to  tell 
me  the  present  condition  of  the  party  whose  name  I 
had  given  her. 

I  recorded  her  impressions  as  follows  : 
"  This  is  a  great  ways  off —  a  very  sensitive  person.  I 
think  he  feels  in  good  condition,  as  if  successful.     He  is 


I/O  Prophecy  in 

going  on  successfully.  He  has  wonderful  brain  power, 
activity,  assurance.  He  seems  like  one  who  had  the 
good  of  a  large  class  of  people  at  heart,  and  is  guided 
and  pushed  on  to  do  a  great  work.  He  has  wonderful 
powers.  He  is  commanding  forces  —  people." 

(What  will  he  accomplish  in  the  next  three  months  ?) 

"  He  is  going  on  to  victory  —  I  don't  know  where, 
but  he  is  going  to  achieve  a  most  wonderful  victory 
over  his  enemies.  He  is  an  extraordinarily  strong  man. 
What  an  immense  force  he  has  against  him.  People 
stand  aghast,  afraid  of  him,  but  they  ought  not  to  be. 

"  This  man  acts  from  inspiration  —  a  power  behind 
him.  He  has  an  indomitable  spirit,  and  would  die  for  a 
principle.  He  is  gathering  new  force  all  the  time,  cut- 
ting off  or  thwarting  the  opposing  forces,  and  gaining 
power.  He  will  spread  himself  to  a  great  extent.  It  is 
difficult  to  say  how  much  power  he  will  have.  He  is  a 
great  ruler  now  and  has  a  large  following.  This  follow- 
ing comes  from  some  principle  that  is  of  a  profound 
nature." 

(Is  it  political,  religious  or  mercantile?) 

"  More  religious  than  anything  else.  He  does  not 
aim  at  self-aggrandizement.  He  is  destined  to  a  suc- 
cessful career.  His  career  will  be  one  of  achievement. 
When  he  subsides  it  will  be  with  a  feeling  of  victory, 
and  having  things  much  his  own  way.  He  will  have  a 
bright  future,  with  now  and  then  clouds  arising  from 
turbulence.  He  has  to  deal  with  sinister  people,  who 
come  to  him  with  great  claims  of  no  real  value. 

"  It  seems  like  one  I  have  described  —  that  Prophet. 
He  is  a  good  example  of  courage,  and  whatever  may 
happen,  he  will  make  a  great  inroad  on  professions  of 
religion.  His  religion  is  an  old  one,  with  many  truths 
not  followed  as  they  should  be.  He  is  in  a  better  con- 
dition than  when  I  saw  him  last." 

(Is  he  about  to  capture  a  city  ? ) 

"  He  is  preparing  for  an  attack,  and  will  be  repulsed  ; 
but  if  his  people  hold  out  as  he  expects,  he  will  succeed ; 


Public  Affairs.  1 7 1 

but  he  looks  with  distrust  upon  the  forces  and  their 
commanders.  I  never  saw  such  unbounded  faith  as  he 
has  in  his  undertaking." 

This  production  was  verified  by  the  repulse  of  his 
forces  until  his  capture  of  Kartoum,  January  27,  1885, 
—  a  year  from  this  examination. 

I  again  directed  her  attention  to  El  Mahdi,  January 
24,  1885,  by  placing  in  her  hands  the  words,  "El  Mahdi, 
what  is  his  condition  ? "  In  advancing  mentally,  she 
first  recognized  a  scene  of  flowers.  Then  :  — 

"  My  mind  is  now  led  to  an  individual  —  but  I  am  a 
little  puzzled.  There  are  elements  of  brightness,  clear 
and  serene.  This  person  is  not  surrounded  with  impos- 
sibilities ;  everything  seems  possible  ;  yet  there's  a  great 
deal  of  turbulence.  There  is  something  familiar  about 
it  —  a  great  deal  of  something  that  I  have  described 
before.  The  scenes  that  present  themselves  are  fluctu- 
ating ;  they  bring  hope  and  anxiety,  yet  nothing  seems 
impossible  to  his  mind.  I  feel  it  is  a  male.  I  like  him, 
but  there  is  so  much  anxiety  !  Still  there  is  a  fearless- 
ness that  will  not  despair.  I  don't  like  the  condition 
that  comes  into  his  life  —  there  is  so  much  antagonism. 

"  He  is  excessively  independent.  I  have  never  seen 
this  man,  but  I  seem  to  be  in  sympathy  with  the  ele- 
ments that  belong  to  his  life,  but  not  with  that  around 
him  —  it  is  too  treacherous. 

"  I  feel  myself  in  a  very  warm  climate,  far  away ;  I 
get  the  perfumes,  the  odors  of  the  foliage ;  it  is  a  trop- 
ical region,  far  away.  I  see  gorges  and  deserts.  I  feel 
like  him, —  as  if  a  centre  in  a  certain  radius, —  perfectly 
collected  and  valiant.  He  is  a  religious  man.  He  com- 
mands a  great  deal  of  devotion  from  his  subjects.  He 
is  a  sort  of  ruler. 

"I  wish  you  were  here  to  see  what  is  going  on.  They 
are  piling  up  breastworks  for  defence.  There  !  I  see  a 
man  just  hurt  badly.  He  fell,  and  a  weapon  stuck  into 


1/2  Prophecy  in 

his  side  —  some  kind  of  a  spear.  Many  are  sitting 
down,  some  are  lying  down.  I  see  people  that  have 
been  wounded.  There  is  going  to  be  terrible  bloodshed 
—  a  terrible  attack  in  connection  with  this  scene  and 
this  person  —  a  fearful  fight,  and  hundreds  killed  and 
wounded — a  savage  fight  —  before  March  arrives.  It 
does  not  appear  that  anybody  will  have  a  victory.  A 
great  many  of  these  people  will  be  killed.  The  enemy 
will  have  to  divide  forces  and  go  back  where  they  came 
from.  These  people  will  hold  their  position.  The  peo- 
ple that  attack  them  are  English." 

(What  next  ? ) 

"  That  will  not  be  the  end.  There  may  be  operations 
through  some  other  power.  The  people  who  are  attack- 
ing these  people  have  not  their  hearts  in  it.  It  is  more 
for  prestige.  There  will  be  no  great  victories.  They 
have  gone  too  far  to  relinquish,  but  will  resort  to  subter- 
fuges to  give  good  cause  for  settling  the  difficulty. 
There  is  not  spirit  enough  to  make  a  great  struggle. 
The  spirit  is  on  the  side  of  these  people ;  the  others 
only  aim  at  a  certain  point  in  war  tactics. 

"  I  don't  like  to  stay  in  this  country.  It  seems  barren 
and  listless.  They  are  a  superstitious  people. 

"  The  leader  has  no  fear  of  outwitting  or  thwarting 
his  opponents.  The  war  will  not  continue  in  the 
summer,  it  would  be  fatal  to  foreigners.  The  troops 
will  probably  withdraw  and  turn  their  backs  on  the 
people.  I  cannot  see  the  result  of  the  war  because  the 
struggle  seems  so  imminent. 

"  Where  is  Gen.  Gordon,  he  is  not  in  full  vigor.  He 
is  sick  at  present,  but  I  don't  think  he  will  die.  I  must 
leave  this  scene  and  go  down  the  Nile.  It  is  too  excit- 
ing and  dreadful.  Now  the  scenery  is  beautiful.  I  see 
the  beautiful  fish  in  the  waters.  Everything  seems 
quiet  and  beautiful. 

"  Now  I  see  George  Washington  before  me  with  the 
most  beautiful  heavenly  smile  I  ever  saw.  He  reaches 
out  his  arms  and  says,  '  Peace  shall  reign  over  this 


Public  Affairs.  173 

entire  globe  wit/tin  five  years  —  a  thing  that  has   not 
been  for  many  years  in  the  past/ 

"  Now  he  shows  me  a  beautiful  tableau,  beautiful 
beyond  expression.  The  colors  from  every  nation 
standing  behind  him,  and  on  his  breast  is  the  flag  of  his 
own  country." 

The  enquirer  may  ask,  was  this  but  a  figurative  or 
emblematic  embodiment  of  her  prevoyant  ideas,  or  was 
it  an  actual  communication  from  the  spirit  of  Washing- 
ton. It  is  not  necessary  to  decide ;  psychometric 
impressions  often  embody  themselves  in  metaphorical 
forms  as  do  the  thoughts  of  poets,  and  it  is  difficult  to 
draw  the  line  between  the  subjective  and  the  objective, 
between  the  things  seen  as  past,  present  or  future,  and 
the  visions  that  embody  or  illustrate  a  truth. 

Three  days  later  I  submitted  the  name  El  Mahdi  to  a 
group  of  psychometrical  pupils,  ladies  in  my  parlor,  in 
my  usual  mode  of  placing  a  small  written  slip  in  the 
hand.  The  substance  of  their  general  impressions  is 
expressed  as  well  as  practicable  in  the  following  lan- 
guage noted  down  at  the  time. 

"  It  is  elevating,  a  serious  feeling,  a  congenial  magnet- 
ism, brightening  the  mind  and  the  eyes,  quiet  and 
soothing,  but  powerfully  magnetic,  disposed  to  think, 
well  balanced,  elevated  above  all  things,  intellectual, 
musical,  an  attractive  person,  not  stout,  symmetrical, 
a  foreigner  who  does  not  speak  the  English  language. 
He  is  not  comfortably  situated.  He  is  active  in  war 
or  something  of  that  kind, — in  trouble,  often  on  horse- 
back or  on  some  animal.  He  has  quite  a  large  army 
—  not  English  —  they  wear  loose  dress-capes.  He  has 
great  spirit  power,  is  a  powerful  medium ;  there  is  a 
power  from  spirits  surrounding  him.  He  is  fighting 
for  the  right,  the  other  army  are  invading  him.  He  is 


Prophecy  in 

defending  his  own  country.  The  war  will  be  disastrous 
to  him  but  he  feels  perfect  assurance  of  final  success. 
He  is  obliged  to  do  violent  things  which  he  would  not 
do  if  not  thus  attacked.  He  will  hold  his  own.  We 
sympathize  with  him.  He  is  fighting  for  a  principle." 

This  group  of  psychometers  perceived  the  character 
and  position  of  the.man  but  not  the  exact  events  of  the 
moment. 

In  my  report  of  January  24,  three  days  before  the 
capture  of  Kartoum,  the  military  condition  was  correctly 
given.  She  spoke  of  terrible  battles  and  bloodshed 
"  before  March  arrives,"  great  slaughter  "  of  the  people  " 
but  no  victory  for  any  body,  and  the  retreat  of  the 
English  with  divided  forces,  going  "  back  where  they 
came  from,"  while  "these  people  will  hold  their  posi- 
tion." "The  war  will  not  continue  in  summer,  it 
would  be  fatal  to  foreigners."  The  sanguinary  battles 
of  January,  February  and  March  which  were  so  bloody 
to  the  Arabs  and  the  practical  cessation  of  active  hostili- 
ties in  March  verified  the  prediction.  The  ex-Khedive 
Ismail  Pasha  explained  to  King  Humbert,  of  Italy  on 
the  fifth  of  April,  the  utter  impossibility  of  conquering 
the  Soudan  and  said  that  England  was  temporizing  with 
a  view  of  abandoning  the  Soudan  "as  soon  as  it 
could  be  done  without  undignified  haste."  He  thought 
that  England  and  El  Mahdi  would  come  to  an  agreement 
next  autumn. 

In  April  '85  I  procured  for  the  first  time  a  picture  of 
El  Mahdi,  purporting  to  be  derived  from  a  photograph, 
and  thinking  that  it  might  perhaps  give  a  more  vivid 
impression  than  the  name,  I  placed  it  in  her  hands  the 


Public  Affairs.  175 

face   turned  down,   on   which   she  gave   the   following 
opinion. 

"  It  seems  the  picture  of  a  man,  a  prominent  leader, 
whether  religious  or  political.  It  seems  a  strong  man. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  ardor  and  excitability. 

"  He  has  one  purpose  at  heart ;  he  is  entirely  suited 
to  it.  He  is  a  foreigner.  It  takes  me  off  to  the  East 
to  the  countries  around  the  Mediterranean.  He  is  sur- 
rounded with  a-  good  deal  of  opposition  to  his  work.  I 
feel  a  restive  warlike  element  around  him. 

"There  is  no  pretension  about  this  man.  He  is  sin- 
cere and  courageous,  and  I  think  him  religious.  It 
would  take  a  great  amount  of  opposing  power  to  make 
him  submit  or  change  his  policy.  I  feel  as  if  in  the 
midst  of  contention  and  war,  very  much  as  I  do  when  I 
take  the  character  of  El  Mahdi.  I  feel  almost  that  it 
is  he." 

(In  what  condition  is  he  at  present  ?) 

"  He  is  in  a  hopeful  condition  as  to  the  ultimate  suc- 
cess of  his  policy.  Tell  me  if  it  is  El  Mahdi.  I  think 
it  is." 

(You  are  right,  it  is  El  Mahdi.) 

"I  need  not  say  any  more." 

(What  is  his  present  condition  ?) 

"  I  wish  I  had  not  discovered  him  so  soon.  I  think 
at  the  present  time  he  feels  that  the  prolonged  delay  is 
somewhat  disappointing.  He  thought  that  the  culmi- 
nation would  be  reached  sooner.  But  he  is  gaining 
prestige  all  the  time,  notwithstanding  the  circulation  of 
hostile  rumors.  His  people  are  getting  weary,  —  they 
want  to  see  an  end  to  this  —  but  he  is  strong  to-day, 
strong  in  his  cause.  He  looks  to  the  spirit  world  for 
aid  with  as  strong  faith  that  he  will  be  carried  through 
by  the  aid  of  higher  powers  as  any  of  the  orthodox. 
He  has  undoubted  fidelity  to  his  religion." 

(What  of  the  sanguinary  proclamations  attributed  to 
him  ?) 


176  Prophecy  in 

"  That  was  probably  to  pacify  the  ignorant  and  fanati- 
cal people  around  him.  He  may  have  said  something 
like  what  was  reported." 

(How  old  do  you  think  he  is  ?) 

" Between  forty  and  fifty." 

This  shows  a  prompt  perception  of  his  character  and 
a  more  accurate  judgment  of  his  age  than  was  formed 
from  the  name  alone. 

On  the  i /th  of  May,  she  announced  that  he  had  been 
defeated,  which  corresponded  to  the  telegraphic  news* 
but  at  the  same  time  that  he  was  not  discouraged  and 
had  received  large  reinforcements. 

The  Mahdi  or  Mahadi  is  a  Mahometan  Messiah,  a 
reincarnation  of  the  old  prophet  Mohammed  the  I2th 
Imam  and  I2th  in  descent  from  Ali,  who  is  the  original 
prophet,  who  is  believed  to  reincarnate  to  revive  the 
glory  of  Moslemism.  The  family  name  of  the  present 
prophet  is  Mohammed  Ahmed.  He  is  a  man  of  medium 
size,  very  thin,  of  a  light  copper  color,  with  a  very 
black  beard.  He  was  born  at  Dongolah ;  his  parents 
were  poor,  but  by  the  aid  of  his  brothers  who  were  car- 
penters and  boat  builders  he  was  kept  at  school  near 
Kartoum,  and  had  completed  the  study  of  the  Koran 
at  twelve.  After  completing  his  studies,  he  lived  on 
the  island  of  Aba  on  the  White  river  for  about  fifteen 
years,  and  is  said  to  have  occupied  a  subterranean  apart- 
ment or  cave.  Here  he  began  to  assume  the  position 
of  the  Mahdi  and  gained  so  many  devotees  that  when 
he  was  sent  for  to  appear  before  the  governor-general 
at  Kartoum  and  explain  his  purposes,  he  refused  to  go. 
When  two  hundred  soldiers  were  sent  to  capture  him, 
they  were  slain  by  his  followers.  Two  months  later  in 


Public  Affairs.  177 

1 88 1,  five  hundred  soldiers  sent  for  the  same  purpose, 
were  also  destroyed.  The  rebellion  developed ;  the 
garrisons  of  the  Soudan,  numbering  seven  thousand 
men  were  concentrated  at  Gudir,  and  were  attacked  by 
an  immense  army  under  the  Mahdi.  It  is  said  that 
only  one  hundred  and  twenty-four  soldiers  escaped 
massacre.  He  led  a  conquering  force  sweeping  down 
everything  before  him,  and  laid  siege  to  El  Obeid  with 
a  force  reported  at  192,000,  but  no  doubt  vastly  exag- 
gerated. The  place  was  captured  and  severely  pun- 
ished, and  his  career  of  conquest  continued,  signalized 
by  the  entire  destruction  of  the  army  of  Hicks  Pasha. 
Newspapers  report  the  destruction  of  a  hundred  thou- 
sand lives  by  his  rebellion,  but  all  intelligence  from  that 
quarter  has  been  unreliable.  In  his  present  position  as 
master  of  Kartoum  with  an  unconquerable  people  be- 
hind him,  the  prediction  of  his  success  is  evidently  des- 
tined to  fulfilment ;  and  the  superficial  sneers  of  the 
London  Times  at  the  impostor  will  not  be  ^ustained  by 
history. 

As  El  Mahdi  is  in  spiritual  affinity  with  Mahomet,  I 
would  introduce  here  the  impression  of  him  given  some 
years  since  by  Mrs.  B.  as  follows  :  — 

MAHOMET THE    FOUNDER    OF    ISLAMISM. 

"  I  feel  a  great  illumination  and  development  coming 
like  waves  of  inspiration.  It  brings  a  purple  color  with 
it.  It  takes  me  back  a  great  ways,  is  not  modern,  but 
not  as  ancient  as  Crishna.  It  is  nearer  the  period  of 
Christ. 

"  There  seems  to  be  a  period  when  the  world  was 
looking  for  development  to  take  it  out  of  gloom,  a  wait- 
ing for  something. 


1/8  Prophecy  in 

"This  was  a  regenerator.  He  took  hold  of  people  by 
storm,  almost  by  force.  It  brings  great  heat  and  fervor, 
an  imaginative  mind  that  grasped  great  truths,  great 
ideas.  There  was  great  imagination  and  fulfilment,  it 
might  be  called  prophesies  fulfilled.  There  is  a  burst- 
ing volcanic  feeling. 

"  From  birth  he  seemed  born  for  his  mission.  He 
was  the  founder  of  a  doctrine  approximating  somewhat 
the  teaching  of  Christ,  but  not  as  his  —  nor  idolatrous. 
He  would  not  teach  the  worship  of  idols,  but  led  the 
people  out  of  it.  It  seems  he  took  a  step  in  advance 
of  his  predecessors,  paid  more  respect  to  woman  in  his 
dispensation  than  in  former  ages. 

"What  troublous  times  he  had  —  often  in  the  deepest 
troubles  from  antagonisms,  there  was  so  much  jealousy 
existing  and  so  much  animality.  The  people  he  dealt 
with  had  very  little  spirituality.  He  talked  with  spirits 
—  claimed  to  do  it  and  did.  He  lived  simply  and  pre- 
pared himself  for  the  revealments  through  him. 

"He  succeeded  in  establishing  his  doctrines  and  had 
his  followers  —  has  now.  A  great  deal  of  force  was 
used  —  he  had  to  fight  his  way.  Great  powers  were 
against  him  and  treachery,  but  he  never  yielded  his 
faith. 

"  His  doctrines  were  such  as  to  impose  great  moral 
responsibility  on  the  person  —  not  like  the  Old  nor  the 
New  Testament.  He  believed  personal  sacrifices  neces- 
sary to  obtain  happiness.  He  believed  in  another 
existence.  His  heaven  was  not  work,  or  praise  and 
song,  but  one  of  grandeur  and  rest. 

"  He  hardly  taught  that  we  should  have  the  same 
pleasures  and  pursuits  as  here.  He  did  not  feel  that 
there  was  much  atonement  in  heaven.  The  mind 
would  not  take  on  the  same  conditions,  but  be  trans- 
formed. 

"He  did  not  diffuse  knowledge  to  the  masses  —  but 
would  rather  teach  this  doctrine  of  inevitable  fate. 

"  He  was  abstemious   as  to  drink.     If  he  saw  the 


Public  Affairs.  179 

demoralizing  effect  of  wine,  he  would  oppose  it.  He 
had  a  liberal  spirit  in  that,  but  would  not  tolerate  de- 
bauchery. 

"As  to  women  he  would  teach  plurality  of  wives  — 
would  not  abuse  women,  but  be  kind  to  his  favorites. 
He  was  loving  and  voluptuous  —  would  prefer  to  be 
served  by  women,  but  perhaps  not  counsel  much  with 
them,  though  he  recognized  their  inspiration. 

"He  had  inspiration  from  high  sources  —  had  visions 
and  prophecies,  and  felt  that  he  had  direct  communica- 
tion with  the  departed  or  angels.  He  was  an  inspired 
leader,  and  left  a  better  example  than  they  had  been 
following  —  he  advanced-  them. 

"  He  had  some  opposition  to  Christianity,  not  viewing 
Christ  as  we  do. 

"He  had  talents  —  was  an  orator  and  made  powerful 
addresses  in  a  commanding  voice  of  magnetic  force  — 
he  charmed  his  audiences.  They  sought  him  with 
avidity. 

"  He  had  power  to  heal  and  did,  somewhat  after  the 
manner  of  Christ,  even  at  a  distance.  His  dress  was 
plain.  He  compared  with  Christ  as  a  leader,  and  in 
magnetic  force,  but  was  not  so  self-sacrificing.  He  had 
more  adherents  from  the  opulent  than  Christ  had.  He 
has  dropped  many  of  his  ideas,  and  would  harmonize 
with  your  views  of  philanthropy." 

ALEXANDER,    D'lSRAELI,    AND     GARIBALDI DEATH     PRE- 
DICTED. 

December  26,  1879.  Mrs.  B.  gave  a  graphic  descrip- 
tion of  Alexander,  the  Czar  of  Russia,  ending  with  the 
assertion  "he  will  certainly  be  killed  —  assassinated,'' 
and  that  "  many  of  the  great  men  of  Europe  will  be  lost 
in  the  next  two  years  —  D' ISRAELI  and  GARIBALDI,  and 
Spain  will  also  send  her  quota  of  prominent  men  to  the 
spirit  world."  These  successful  prophecies  were  the 


I  So  Prophecy  in 

more  remarkable  as  they  were  spontaneous,  and  not  at 
all  associated  in  any  way  with  the  fate  of  Alexander. 
The  description  of  Alexander  in  which  these  prophe- 
cies occurred  was  as  follows.  She  grasped  the  charac- 
ter almost  instantly  and  recognized  it  as  living. 

"  I  get  a  living  influence.  I  feel  a  person  endowed 
with  good  share  of  common  sense  and  great  ability  in 
directing.  He  knows  how  to  direct  a  body  of  men. 
That  is  his  forte.  He  is  intellectual,  and  at  home  in 
intellectual  society.  There  is  a  flush  of  business  about 
him. 

"  He  is  not  altogether  popular.  He  is  in  a  position  of 
directing  by  authority,  and  he  is  under  direction  by 
others.  He  is  engaged  in  publishing  something  — 
something  like  journalism.  He  is  easily  read  by  those 
who  are  near  him.  He  lives  in  style,  but  the  external 
of  the  building  is  not  so  stylish  as  its  interior." 

(Why  is  he  unpopular  ?) 

"  He  is  so  self-willed  and  extreme.  It  is  not  a  char- 
acter that  I  would  admire.  He  has  an  intense  love  of 
self  —  is  very  opinionated.  He  is  gifted  —  has  learning, 
and  has  looked  into  deep  subjects.  Does  he  not  have 
women  under  his  control  ?  I  see  them.  But  he  is  not 
popular  with  women,  except  so  far  as  they  desire  to  get 
benefits  from  him.  He  is  obeyed  from  fear  of  his 
power." 

(Is  he  interested  in  the  public  welfare  ?) 

"Yes,  if  he  could  have  his  own  way.  He  does  not 
adopt  other  people's  views." 

(Has  his  unpopularity  ever  brought  on  any  trouble  ?) 

"Yes,  he  has  been  in  danger  of  personal  violence 
from  his  enemies.  He  is  careless  as  to  wounding 
others  —  not  at  all  sympathetic." 

(What  does  he  think  of  democratic  institutions  ?) 

"  He  is  rather  favorable  to  them.  That  is  one  of  his 
extremes.  He  likes  to  see  industry  going  on,  and  is 


Public  Affairs  181 

industrious  himself,  but  he  likes  to  have  his  own  system 
in  everything.  He  is  bull-headed  in  many  respects. 
He  cares  more  for  the  country's  prosperity  than  for  the 
comfort  of  the  people.  He  likes  to  take  the  reins  over 
everything  and  supervise  it." 

(What  is  the  climate  of  his  country  ?) 

"  Generally  temperate,  but  in  certain  winter  months, 
very  cold." 

PSYCHOMETRIC    VIEW    OF    RUSSIA    AND   ENGLAND. 

March  26,  1885,  our  evening  paper  gave  warlike  news- 
which  prompted  me  to  learn  from  psychometry  the 
probable  course  of  events.  The  foreign  news  was 
headed:  "War  nearing.  English  and  Russian  stocks 
falling.  Great  excitement  in  England.  25,000  militia 
said  to  have  been  called  out.  Bombay  troops  to  pre- 
pare for  service.  Finishing  steel  vessels  at  Chatham. 
Chicago  canning  beef  for  the  English  army.  England 
preparing,  getting  ready  her  big  ships,  calling  in  and 
inspecting  her  rifles.  The  British  reserves  and  militia 
to  be  called  into  permanent  service.  Queen  Victoria's 
message.  15,000  troops  for  India.  Horse  artillery  pro- 
ceed at  once.  Burmah  contributes  1,000  camels."  It 
was  also  stated  that  "  14,000  rifles  will  be  forwarded  to 
India  to-morrow,"  and  that  "  Gen.  Roberts'  corps  will 
go  to  Bolan  Pass,"  and  "  rumors  are  thick  that  Russia 
has  rejected  the  English  proposals."  At  the  same 
time  the  conviction  was  expressed  at  the  Department 
of  State,  Washington,  that  war  was  inevitable. 

These  and  other  warlike  rumors  implied  a  very  strong 
probability  of  war,  and  to  test  the  prophetic  power,  I 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  B.  the  words,  pencilled  on 
a  very  small  slip  of  paper,  "  England  and  Russia  ;  will 


1 82  Prophecy  in 

there  be  war  ? "  saying  that  it  was  a  question  concern- 
ing persons,  places,  and  events  on  which  I  wished  her 
opinion.  I  knew  she  had  no  opinion  formed  on  the 
subject,  as  she  seldom  looked  at  the  foreign  news,  and 
was  not  aware  of  the  pending  difficulties.  Her  impres- 
sions were  given  deliberately,  as  follows  :  — 

"  It's  all  mixed  up.  It  gets  me  excited.  Is  it  El 
Mahdi's  war?" 

(No  ;  it  is  something  for  you  to  determine  as  to  the 
future.) 

"  It  stirs  me  up  considerably,  but  I  don't  think  it's  a 
very  serious  matter.  There  seems  to  be  a  great  deal  of 
froth  and  swagger  about  it. 

"  I  am  carried  away  a  great  ways,  into  a  remote  region. 
I  see  Indians,  or  something  that  looks  like  uncivilized 
people. 

"  It  seems  to  me  there  are  two  forces  in  a  menacing 
attitude  toward  each  other.  This  region  seems  a  new 
place  I  have  never  explored  before.  I  don't  know  what 
this  disturbance  is  about — whether  invasion  of  terri- 
tory or  subjugation.  I  think  it  is  chiefly  that.  There 
is  some  religious  feeling  or  fancy  about  it. 

"  The  people  where  this  scene  is  located  are  not  white, 
—  they  seem  copper  colored  or  darker.  There  are 
other  parties  concerned.  It  is  not  a  home  affair  or  up- 
rising, but  a  foreign  intervention.  They  are  an  unscru- 
pulous people.  They  would  like  to  exterminate  the 
natives  if  they  could,  and  take  their  country.  It  is  a 
rich  country  with  mineral  wealth. 

"  They  will  not  be  able  to  do  this,  because  these  peo- 
ple will  have  friendly  power  to  assist  them  —  European 
power." 

(In  what  direction  do  the  invaders  come?) 

"  It  is  all  east  from  here.  The  invaders  are  Europe- 
ans ;  they  come  from  a  northern  direction.  The  natives 
will  have  assistance  from  a  southern  direction.  This 


Public  Affairs.  183 

intervening  element  does  riot  wish  to  meddle  for  honor, 
but  to  go  in  for  principle.  They  are  a  mixed  people, 
copper  colored  and  dark,  with  some  whites,  but  so  mixed 
up  I  cannot  speak  clearly  of  the  nationality." 

(Will  there  be  a  collision  ? ) 

"  I  think  there  will  be  hostilities,  and  the  nefarious 
designs  against  a  defenceless  people  will  be  checked. 
There  may  be  some  collision,  but  the  intervention  will 
check  the  invasion,  which  is  certainly  wrong." 

(What  do  you  say  of  the  invading  party  and  their 
government  ? ) 

"  They  seem  to  rule  by  force  and  tyranny.  I  don't 
like  their  principles  and  methods." 

(Is  it  the  fault  of  the  nation  or  its  government  ? ) 

"It  is  the  government.  They  are  unfeeling,  and 
have  no  sympathy  with  any  nation  unless  they  can  pro- 
mote their  own  aggrandizement.  It  is  an  arbitrary 
government." 

(Will  there  be  anything  like  war?) 

"  I  don't  think  there  is  much  collision  yet,  but  there 
is  a  very  menacing,  aggressive,  tantalizing  attitude. 
There  will  be  bloodshed,  and  a  formidable  attack,  but  it 
will  not  last.  The  natives,  though  not  well  prepared, 
will  fight  with  desperation." 

(How  soon  will  it  be  settled  ? ) 

"  It  will  not  take  many  months  to  establish  peace." 

This  opinion  was  soon  verified  by  Gen.  Komaroff's 
attack  on  the  Afghans  four  days  later,  and  their  cour- 
ageous resistance.  The  signs  of  war  and  the  military 
preparations  were  increasing  until  my  next  experiment. 

April  u,  1885,  the  imminent  probability  of  a  war 
between  England  and  Russia  as  generally  believed  and 
the  vast  military  preparations  in  progress  induced  me  to 
look  again  into  the  question  by  investigating  the  charac- 
ter of  the  Czar  upon  whom  it  seemed  to  depend. 

I  placed  in  her  hands  "  the  Czar  of  Russia,"  saying 


184  Prophecy  in 

there   was   a   character   for   her   to  investigate.      Her 
impression  was  given  as  follows  :  — 

"  It  seems  like  a  public  character.  He  has  a  great 
deal  of  will-power  —  strong  mentality.  It  is  a  man.  I 
don't  think  I  have  ever  described  him.  He  is  an  entire 
stranger  to  me. 

"  He  is  one  I  don't  take  to.  He  seems  an  unfeeling 
man.  I  may  be  wrong  but  he  does  not  seem  scrupu- 
lous. He  would  go  ahead  without  much  sympathy  for 
others,  he  is  sharp,  cutting.  He  has  a  very  active  brain, 
a  good  deal  of  engineering,  has  a  far-reaching  mind, 
seeking  self-aggrandizement  and  power.  He  has  a  great 
deal  of  skill  —  I  don't  know  whether  military  skill  or 
in  general  management.  I  feel  that  he  is  commanding 
forces  —  a  power. 

"  He  is  a  repulsive  man  to  me,  makes  me  feel  restless 
and  uncomfortable.  His  purposes  are  sinister.  He 
expects  to  make  a  great  name.  He  cares  nothing  for 
human  suffering.  His  name  would  be  offensive  to 
philanthropic  minds  ;  but  the  people  don't  see  him  just 
as  I  do.  I  cannot  locate  him. 

"  He  is  full  of  cupidity.  He  may  be  somewhat  of  a 
success,  but  he  will  never  be  what  the  world  will  sanc- 
tion as  true  greatness.  He  likes  to  go  into  large  opera- 
tions. 

"  People  can't  really  tell  where  to  find  him,  he  is  a 
tactician  with  flank  movements.  I  feel  that  he  is 
instigating  trouble — war.  He  would  like  to  stir  up 
and  instigate  war  —  bring  up  causes  to  provoke  disturb- 
ances. He  is  happy  only  in  governing  and  command- 
ing people  —  serfs.  He  is  seeking  conflict  with  people 
who  will  give  him  more  than  he  wants  before  h*e  gets 
through  it.  He  seems  an  invader  who  would  trample 
on  the  rights  of  others." 

(Will  the  people  sustain  him  ?) 

"  He  holds  power  and  the  people  will  sustain  him, 
but  there  will  not  be  a  general  feeling  in  his  favor." 


Public  A  fairs.  185 

*    (Will  there  be  a  war  ?) 

"  I  think  there  will  be  a  backing  out.  You  can't  tell 
where  to  find  him  when  it  comes  to  the  issue,  He  has 
made  some  reputation  he  does  not  deserve  by  his 
diplomacy." 

(What  will  be  his  future  ?) 

"  I  think  he  is  in  the  Russian  trouble  —  in  an  exalted 
position." 

(Russian  or  English  ?) 

u  He  seems  a  Russian.  Emperor  of  Russia.  He  will 
not  have  a  brilliant  setting  to  his  sun.  He  will  go  down 
in  a  cloud.  He  will  not  have  a  long  reign.  It  will  be 
a  tortuous  one.  I  would  not  be  surprised  if  he  was 
deposed.  It  is  possible  —  I  don't  say  positively.  I 
don't  believe  he  will  be  reformed,  though  he  may  yield 
his  principles  to  retain  power.  He  is  so  unreliable  I 
cannot  tell  what  he  will  do.  Some  of  the  people  do 
want  to  depose  him.  He  is  fond  of  power  and  of  self, 
and  is  so  politic  he  might  do  a  great  deal  to  retain  it. 
He  could  find  an  excuse  for  making  any  surrender. 
He  is  a  very  difficult  man  to  read.  He  has  made  great 
bluster  and  show  of  power,  but  " 

(What  as  to  war  ?) 

"  He  will  make  his  demands  less  imperious,  and 
endeavor  to  conciliate  or  negotiate.  His  acquisitive- 
ness is  large." 

(What  is  his  domestic  character  ?) 

"  He  does  not  show  his  tyrannical  nature  at  home, 
though  a  little  morose." 

(Is  there  any  probability  of  his  being  assassinated  ?) 

"  There  may  be  attempts.  There  are  evil  eyes  on 
him  with  a  menacing  feeling.  I  do  not  think  he  will  be 
in  a  very  great  war.  His  people  do  not  go  to  war 
willingly." 

April  23,  1885. —  Everything  in  the  news  to-day  at 
Boston  indicates  the  strong  probability  of  war.  The 
Vienna  dispatch  of  April  22  says  :  — 


1 86  Prophecy  in 

"  Information  which  has  been  received  here  from  St. 
Petersburg  political  circles  creates  a  great  sensation. 
It  is  to  the  effect  that  the  only  condition  on  which 
peace  can  be  assured  is  that  England  shall  ac- 
knowledge the  complete  neutrality  of  Afghanistan  and 
the  extinction  of  English  influence  upon  the  Ameer's 
country.  In  this  case  only,  it  is  said,  is  a  peaceful 
understanding  between  England  and  Russia  possible. 
This  demand  on  the  part  of  Russia  has  been  communi- 
cated as  an  ultimatum  to  London.  The  highest  military 
circles  in  Russia  are  bringing  great  pressure  to  bear  on 
the  government  to  declare  war.  They  say  that  the 
chances  of  victory  for  Russia  were  never  so  favorable  as 
at  the  present  time.  Russia  it  is  further  said,  is  only 
waiting  the  moment  when  the  Volga  shall  be  free  of 
ice,  as  this  river  is  essential  for  the  transportation  of  her 
troops.  As  soon  as  the  river  is  open,  Russia  will  cast 
aside  further  attempts  at  diplomatic  negotiations." 

The  London  despatch  says  :  — 

"  The  press  association  asserts  that  it  is  enabled  to 
state  that  further  communications  have  been  received 
from  St.  Petersburg  to  the  effect  that  the  Russian 
government  has  refused  to  hold  a  further  inquiry  in 
regard  to  Gen.  KomarofFs  report  of  the  engagement  of 
March  30.  It  is  the  opinion,  therefore,  in  English  and 
Russian  diplomatic  circles  that  peace  cannot  be  main- 
tained. 

"A  later  dispatch  says:  The  Russian  reply  to  the 
communication  sent  to  M.  de  Giers  through  Sir  Edward 
Thornton  yesterday,  after  the  receipt  of  Sir  Peter 
Lumsden's  supplementary  report  of  the  battle  of  March 
30,  has  just  been  received.  M.  de  Giers  replies  that 


Public  Affairs.  187 

Russia  declined  to  enter  upon  any  further  discussion  of 
the  Penjdeh  incident" 

The  London  News  of  same  date  says  :  — 

"  No  disposition  is  shown  by  Russia  to  retreat  from 
the  false  position  she  has  assumed.  Forbearance  has 
been  pushed  to  its  limits  and  will  bear  little  further 
extension  on  the  part  of  England." 

Russia  was  also  announced  to  be  fortifying  Batoum 
and  gathering  a  military  force  there  in  violation  of  its 
treaty  stipulations. 

The  latest  despatch  from  London  on  the  morning  of 
the  23d  (5  A.  M.),  says  "  the  Porte  is  to  be  neutral,  and 
peace,  after  Sir  Peter  Lumsden's  papers  is  impossible. 
The  war  preparations  at  Woolwich  yesterday  were  im- 
mense." 

Fearing  that  there  might  be  a  failure  after  all  in  the 
pacific  prophecy,  I  again  placed  the  name  of  the  Czar  in 
her  hand  and  asked,  her  as  to  the  mental  condition  and 
designs  of  the  man  whose  name  I  gave  her.  She 
promptly  said  it  was  the  Czar  —  that  he  was  roused  and 
earnest,  and  endeavoring  to  inspire  a  warlike  spirit  in 
the  people,  but  that  there  would  be  no  war,  however 
great  the  preparation,  that  there  would  be  mediation, 
and  Germany  would  be  the  mediating  party. 

May  8. —  Throughout  the  month  of  April  the  war-cloud 
was  vast  and  dark,  the  military  preparations  went  on. 
The  declaration  that  war  must  soon  begin,  coming  from 
diplomatic  circles,  from  the  press,  from  foreign  specta- 
tors, from  correspondents  in  Russia,  and  other  sources, 
and  the  ardent  desire  of  large  parties  in  Russia  and 
England  to  bring  on  the  conflict,  the  wide  spread  con- 
viction that  war  was  inevitable  and  that  Mr.  Gladstone 


1 88  Prophecy  in 

was  but  timidly  postponing  the  crash,  gave  me  great 
uneasiness,  and,  at  each  fresh  alarm,  I  again  appealed 
to  her  psychometric  judgment,  only  to  be  assured  with 
unhesitating  positiveness  that  there  would  be  no  war. 
Her  opinion  was  psychometric,  she  knew  but  little,  and 
thought  less  of  the  newspaper  reports  and  could  not  be 
induced  to  admit,  either  consciously  or  unconsciously, 
as  in  my  experiments,  that  war  was  possible,  whether 
speaking  of  England  and  Russia  or  interpreting  an  im- 
pression from  an  unknown  writing. 

Now  that  peace  is  assured,  we  may  reflect  on  the 
greatness  of  the  crisis  and  the  moral  grandeur  of  Glad- 
stone in  warding  off  unspeakable  calamity  and  crime 
from  two  of  the  greatest  nations,  unaided  by  those  who 
should  have  stood  by  him,  and  against  all  outside  influ- 
ence from  other  nations. 

Oh  that  it  were  possible  to  consummate  his  grand 
career  by  dis-establishing  that  fraud  upon  Christianity, 
the  Church  of  England. 

It  was  well  said  by  a  Wesleyan  clergyman  in  an 
English  journal :  "The  country  has  a  special  right  to 
complain  of  the  establishment.  We  give  these  gentle- 
men five  million  pounds  a  year,  and  a  position  of  unique 
authority  and  honor  in  order  that  they  may  teach  us  all 
to  be  Christians.  But  if  at  a  crisis  like  this,  they  have 
either  nothing  to  say  to  us,  or  worse  still  like  the  Canon 
of  Litchfield,  preach  the  gospel  of  Moloch,  —  it  will  be 
difficult  to  show  cause  why  they  should  not  be  dis-estab- 
lished  at  once,  and  dis-endowed  without  a  penny  of  com- 
pensation. 


Public  Affairs.  189 


FRANCE    AND    CHINA. 

April  5,  1885.  I  placed  in  her  hands  the  words, 
"  France  and  China  —  Peace  or  War  ; "  with  the  follow 
ing  result : 

"It  suggests  disruption  and  confusion —  I  see  lights 
and  shadows  —  kaleidoscopic  —  a  great  deal  of  uncer- 
tainty and  new  developments,  with  antagonistic  forces 
at  work. 

"  I  don't  know  whether  everybody  is  in  earnest  or 
not.  I  don't  see  that  anybody  is  in  earnest.  I  go  to 
seek  the  causes.  I  don't  see  any  real  cause.  It  is  like 
something  started  in  the  minds  of  a  few  individuals  for 
notoriety,  power,  and  self-aggrandizement. 

"  El  Mahdi  occurs  to  my  mind,  but  not  in  connection 
with  this.  It  has  something  to  do  with  Afghanistan,  but 
very  remotely.  It  seems  like  an  epidemic  of  warlike 
distemper.  Can  there  be  an  atmospheric  or  planetary 
influence  at  work  ? 

"  There  is  going  to  be  a  great  deal  of  bloodshed,  and 
then  they  will  stop.  They  are  preparing  to  fight, 
though  they  don't  seem  to  have  any  heart,  and  it  is  not 
to  revenge  any  grievance,  —  a  sort  of  warlike  epidemic. 
They  are  going  through  with  it  soon,  probably  within  a 
year." 

(Is  it  possible  it  may  be  settled  sooner  ?) 

"  It  is  the  desire  of  some  of  the  parties  to  negotiate. 
What  are  they  fighting  about?  It  is  not  a  religious 
war.  I  don't  see  the  cause." 

(Do  you  see  the  assailing  party  ?) 

"  They  are  a  bloodthirsty  set.  I  see  brilliant  colors, 
—  sails,  —  national  colors.  They  look  like  Chinese 
people." 

(What  are  the  other  parties  ?) 

"They  are  a  better-looking  people,  of  more  distinct 
features,  —  more  like  French  than  anything  else." 

(What  is  to  be  the  result  ?) 


190  Prophecy  in 

"Many  are  to  be  killed.  The  assailants  have  no 
more  humane  feeling  than  if  they  were  fighting  with 
animals.  It  looks  as  if  there  would  be  some  interfer- 
ence— some  nation  coming  in  as  friends  to  the  Chinese 
advising,  or  assisting  and  promoting  a  settlement." 

The  settlement  was  effected  through  the  friendly  of- 
fices of ,an  Englishman,  very  soon  after  this  opinion, 

the  whole  difficulty  having  occupied  less  than  a  year. 

JOSEPH    CHAMBERLAIN. 

(  Q^  —  Is  this  character  dead  or  living  ?  )  *  *  It  seems 
a  living  man.  He  has  a  very  broad  and  a  very  pecu- 
liar mind.  I  don't  know  that  I  can  do  him  justice. 
He  seems  a  literary  man.  He  has  many  technical 
ideas  and  expressions  like  a  lawyer.  He  is  very  criti- 
cal, but  a  fair  man  in  his  criticisms.  He  is  a  man  of 
noble  impulses  —  a  genuine  man  —  he  feels  what  he 
espouses." 

(Q^ —  What  are  his  aims  and  purposes?  )  He  is 
strong  and  persistent  in  his  views,  but  at  the  same 
time  conciliating  and  yielding  to  the  wisdom  of  others. 
He  is  interested  in  educational  matters  and  improve- 
ments. He  has  wonderful  ability  for  regulating  great 
questions,  making  good  suggestions  —  is  a  man  of 
very  broad  mind,  a  very  busy  man  —  interested  in 
the  questions  of  the  day,  —  not  wrapped  up  in  his 
own  affairs,  but  with  a  universal  benevolence.  He 
is  in  some  sort  of  public  life  —  it  seems  an  official 
life.  It  does  not  seem  to  be  in  this  country.  He  is 
descended  from  a  good  family  and  has  a  good  social 
position.  He  is  financially  independent,  but  not  very 
wealthy.  He  may  mingle  with  society,  but  is  not  a 
votary  of  pleasure.  He  has  good  business  capacity 
but  is  not  selfish  enough  to  accumulate  largely." 

(Q^ —  What  government  is  he  living  under?)  "  It 
seems  a  monarchy,  but  constitutional — the  people  have 


Public  Affairs.  191 

a  great  deal  of  influence,  much  as  they  do  herel  He 
favors  a  very  tolerant  policy,  a  policy  for  the  people. 
He  s  not  autocratic." 

(Q^  —  What  measures  would  he  introduce  ?)  *  '  He 
would  favor  peace  and  arbitration.  He  would  like 
to  establish  freedom  in  religion.  He  would  not  favor 
a  church  establishment,  but  would  denounce  it.  He 
would  not  favor  polygamy.  In  reference  to  land, 
he  would  wish  every  man  to  have  his  own  home  on 
land,  and  to  have  a  government  much  like  ours. 
He  would  differ  much  with  the  laws  of  England. 
He  has  very  good  ideas  on  the  land  question.  He 
believes  in  human  rights,  and  works  for  them.  He 
greatly  disapproves  any  law  hindering  the  ownership 
of  land.  He  favors  the  elevation  of  woman,  too,  if  that 
question  comes  up.  He  tolerates  no  despotism  for  any 
class — no  form  of  slavery.  He  thinks  education  should 
be  free.  He  would  favor  compulsory  education  of  chil- 
dren. He  is  a  good  talkerand  writer  —  expresses 
himself  very  clearly  and  forcibly  both  in  writing  and 
speaking.  As  a  public  speaker  he  is  very  effective 
and  carries  a  great  deal  of  power." 

(Qc — What  is  his  future?)  "  He  will  have  in- 
fluence —  his  views  will  not  be  lost  to  the  world.  He 
has  push  and  perseverance.  He  will  do  a  great  deal 
to  establish  his  principles.  He  will  have  an  influen- 
tial position.  He  will  have  hard  work  to  establish 
his  principles,  but  will  do  it  finally.  He  will  not  be  a 
disappointed  man." 

"A  great  deal  is  depending  on  him.  He  has  taken 
great  pains  to  discover  the  condition  and  feelings  of 
the  working  classes,  and  feels  that  they  could  be 
unanimous  with  him  in  making  changes.  He  wants 
to  better  their  condition." 

"He  is  oeyonci  middle  age,  and  is  going  to  have  a 
long  life  and  work  hard,  and  hold  a  high  position, 


192  Prophecy  in 

but  he  does  not  care  about  that,  except  to  protect  the 
people." 

(Q^.  —  How  does  he  regard  Mr.  Gladstone  ?)  "He 
falls  in  with  his  ideas  to  a  great  extent.  There  is  an 
agreement  of  character — no  antagonism  —  though 
they  may  have  different  modes  of  carrying  out  their 
measures  —  the  results  would  be  the  same.  I  think 
he  will  probably  out-live  Gladstone  and  will  be  as  in- 
fluential hereafter,  though  I  do  not  think  he  is  work- 
ing for  position.  He  is  a  growing  man,  adding  to 
his  powers  and  his  influence." 

The  psychometer  in  this  instance  had  not  the  slight- 
est conception  of  the  career  of  Mr.  Chamberlain,  nor 
even  of  his  name,  when  I  placed  his  name  in  her 
hands  unseen,  which  instantly  gave  her  an  impres- 
sion of  his  general  character.  Her  mind  being  con- 
centrated on  that,  she  had  no  idea  of  his  location  or 
nationality,  as  the  attention  in  psychometric  investi- 
gations is  generally  concentrated  upon  the  matter 
under  scrutiny,  but  when  I  asked  her  as  to  the  gov- 
ernment under  which  he  lived,  she  immediately  recog- 
nized his  environment.  In  this,  as  in  other  descriptions 
of  remote  objects  or  persons,  statements  were  made 
which  were  beyond  my  own  knowledge.  I  have 
never  found  my  own  ignorance  upon  any  subject  any 
hindrance  to  her  ready  recognition  of  the  unknown 
conditions. 

In  the  foregoing  practical  illustrations  of  the  pro- 
phetic power  of  the  human  intellect,  candid  readers  will 
find  sufficient  reason  to  believe  that  the  ancients  were 
right  in  recognizing  and  relying  upon  the  prophetic 
faculty  of  the  human  mind,  and  that  the  religious  world 


Public  Affairs.  193 

has  not  been  mistaken  in  recognizing  extraordinary 
prophecy  as  an  evidence  of  inspiration,  but  an  inspira- 
tion which  could  not  occur  unless  there  were  a  prophetic 
faculty  to  be  inspired,  The  recognition  of  this  power 
in  Mrs.  B.  was  expressed  by  one  of  her  admirer  5  in  a 
poem  published  in  1 880,  as  follows :  — 

TO  CORNELIA— THE   PRIESTESS. 

Above  the  mountain  tops  of  snow ! 
Above  the  clouds  and  vales  below ! 
The  wild  bird  flieth  wild  and  free 
From  Eastern  shores  to  Western  sea. 
And  the  forest  fades  in  the  dim  twilight, 
As  the  stars  come  out  in  the  sky  of  night ; 
And  field  and  mountain,  river  and  sea, 
Are  lost  in  a  realm  of  mystery. 
Then  stars  seem  near  in  their  mystic  power, 
And  deep  is  the  mystery  of  that  hour 
When  viewless  forces  from  stellar  spheres 
Are  weaving  the  web  of  the  coming  years. 

Like  that  wild  bird  thy  spirit  flies 
Beyond  the  star-gemmed  midnight  skies 
To  realms  of  beauty,  radiant,  rare  — 
To  realms  of  bliss  beyond  compare, 
To  deeper  realms  of  mystic  lore 
Than  ever  sages  pondered  o'er. 
And  high  in  spheres  of  prophet  souls 
The  scroll  of  Fate  for  thee  unrolls ; 
And  whispers  of  divinest  thought 
In  sacred  spheres,  to  thee  are  brought. 
Dear  Priestess  of  the  sacred  shrine 
Where  angels  come  from  spheres  divine, 
No  Delphic  temple  yet  is  thine ; 
But  flowers  shall  yet  thy  path  surround, 
And  Honor  bring  its  glittering  crown ; 
And  grateful  hearts  shall  turn  to  thee, 
INTERPRETER  OF  MYSTERY! 
Fair  herald  for  celestial  spheres 
Of  joy  and  light  in  coming  years  ! 

PSYCHE. 


194  Postscript. 

POSTSCRIPT. 

An  accident,  at  the  last  moment,  gives  me  the 
opportunity  of  referring  to  the  continued  fulfilment  of 
the  prophetic  anticipations  concerning  El  Mahdi,  who 
no  longer  finds  an  English  foe  before  him,  and  is  said 
to  be  massing  his  forces  for  more  extensive  conquest. 

May  I  not  ask,  is  the  time  far  off,  in  which  the  ship 
of  state,  sailing  into  the  unexplored  sea  oi  futurity,  full 
of  hidden  dangers,  shall  have  its  pilot,  its  telescope, 
and  its  electric  light  ?  Does  not  the  grandeur  of  the 
responsibility,  when  nations  of  fifty  or  a  hundred  mil- 
lions are  drifting  into  collision  in  the  dark,  and  when 
the  unknown  dangers  of  immovable  caste,  upheaving 
discontent,  communism,  nihilism,  materialism,  corrup- 
tion, monopoly,  selfishness,  turbulence,  ignorance  and 
pestilence  are  ever  impending  as  storm-clouds,  demand 
adequate  precautions.  Has  the  Divine  Benevolence 
left  man  as  the  helpless  victim  of  unknown  and  un- 
controllable misfortune,  and  ordained  an  endless 
martyrdom  for  humanity,  or  has  it  not  given  to  man 
dominion  over  all  things,  in  his  over-mastering  intelli- 
gence, of  which  he  is  but  beginning  in  this  juvenile 
age  to  be  conscious. 

I  am  firmly  convinced  there  is 'a  Divine  intelligence 
in  the  interior  of  humanity,  which  may  solve  all  prob- 
lems and  guide  all  destinies.  With  a  view  to  its  evo- 
lution I  have  proposed  the  COLLEGE  OF  THE  SOUL, 
which  one-millionth  part  of  the  wealth  now  annually 
worse  than  wasted,  might  establish  as  the  guide  of 
nations  in  all  things,  and  especially  in  the  realm 
belonging  to  that  prophetic  wisdom  which  I  have 
shown  to  be  implanted  in  humanity. 


PART  III— THE  NEW  PHILOSOPHY  AND 
RELIGION, 


CHAPTER    X. 

PSYCHOMETRY  AND  ANTHROPOLOGY. 

As  a  matter  of  scientific  progress,  the  crowning 
glory  of  Psychometry  is  its  participation  in  the  devel- 
opment of  Anthropology. 

The  masterpiece  of  creation,  the  human  brain,  the 
organic  structure  which  comes  into  conjugal  union 
with  the  divine  element,  the  structure  through  which 
Divinity  is  manifested,  the  organ  most  mysterious  and 
difficult  of  all  in  its  anatomy  —  the  centre  alike  of 
psychological  and  physiological  life,  exercising  in  its 
various  organs  all  that  belongs  to  the  life  of  man  and, 
therefore,  holding  in  itself  all  the  secrets  of  human 
existence,  the  source  of  all  philosophy,  all  thought, 
all  action,  all  art,  all  passion,  all  movements  of  indi- 
viduals and  nations,  and,  therefore,  the  richest,  grand- 
est, sublimest  and  most  complex  of  all  subjects  of 
human  study  remained  until  the  end  of  the  last  cen- 
tury an  inaccessible  mystery,  and  still  remains  to-day 
nothwithstanding  the  profound  exposition  of  its  anat- 
omy, the  greatest  of  all  impregnable  mysteries  in  the 
schools  of  biological  science. 

i 


2  Psychomctrv  and  Anthropology* 

And  yet  the  knowledge  locked  up  in  this  mysteri- 
ous organ,  being  that  which  is  nearest  to  ourselves 
and  most  important  to  our  well-being  is  worth  all  other 
knowledge,  and,  therefore,  worthy  of  the  concen- 
trated labor  of  all  scientific  minds,  since  the  full 
development  of  this  knowledge  would  be  worth  more 
than  all  that  has  been  hitherto  done  for  human 
enlightenment. 

To  perform  this  great  neglected  task  —  to  open  the 
richest  treasury,  not  only  of  knowledge  but  of  wis- 
dom, has  been  the  aim  of  my  life  for  fifty  years,  which 
was  crowned  with  success  in  1841,  by  discovering  the 
impressibility  of  the  brain  and  the  ease  with  which  its 
functions  may  be  demonstrated. 

The  rational  and  practical  investigations  of  Gall,  at 
the  close  of  the  last  century,  gave  the  first  clear 
understanding  of  the  anatomy  of  the  brain,  and  the 
first  just  conception  of  its  functions  —  a  grand  work  — 
incomplete  and  inaccurate,  but  greater  and  more  orig- 
inal than  any  of  the  scientific  achievements  of  past 
ages. 

To  test  its  truth,  to  supply  its  deficiencies,  correct  its 
errors  and  expand  the  phrenological  doctrine  into  a 
complete  science  of  the  brain,  as  the  organ  the  soul 
and  the  controlling  region  of  the  body,  was  the  work 
to  which  I  gave  seven  years  of  gratifying,  fascinating 
and  successful  labor,  crowned  by  the  discovery  of  the 
impressibility  of  the  brain,  which  enabled  me  to  stim- 
ulate its  various  organs  by  the  hand  or  by  galvanism, 
and  make  them  reveal  their  functions  as  clearly  as  the 
sensitive  and  motor  nerves  had  been  demonstrated  by 
Majendie. 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology.  3 

At  this  point  Psychometry  came  in  to  reinforce  the 
demonstration,  and  carry  my  investigations  farther  in 
the  most  delicate  exploration  of  the  cerebral  organs. 
Had  'I  discovered  first  the  psychometric  process  of 
investigation,  that  would  have  been  sufficient  for  the 
entire  task,  and  Psychometry  would  have  had  the 
honor  of  the  entire  discovery,  to  which  indeed  it  was 
entirely  competent,  but  in  which  it  comes  in  as  the 
assistant,  to  perfect  and  complete  the  science  of  man 
—  a  science  the  magnitude  and  value  of  which  are 
beyond  all  computation,  and  may  not  be  realized  by 
many  for  half  a  century. 

This  science  to  which  I  have  alluded,  merely  to  show 
the  power  and  value  of  Psychometry,  comprehends 
alike  the  action  of  the  brain  as  the  organ  of  the  soul, 
which  may  be  called  Cerebral  Psychology,  and  its 
action  as  the  commanding  region  of  the  body,  in 
Cerebral  Physiology.  The  Cerebral  Psychology 
includes  not  only  normal  Psychology,  but  all  that  is 
abnormal  and  insane  —  while  the  Cerebral  Physiology 
includes  the  philosophy  of  disease  as  well  as  of 
healthy  action,  and,  therefore,  establishes  a  medical 
philosophy.  In  addition  to  these  systems  of  science, 
Anthropology  shows  that  the  entire  body  and  entire 
brain  operate  in  close  and  systematic  sympathy  so 
that  whatever  function  may  be  operative  in  one  has 
a  correspondent  function  in  the  other.  Hence  the 
body  has  in  a  different  sphere,  the  same  combination 
of  psychic  and  physiologial  powers  as  the  brain,  and 
the  scientific  map  of  these  functions  constitutes  the 
Science  of  SARCOGNOMY,  which  is  the  accurate  basis  ot 
electric  and  magnetic  practice,  as  well  as  of  the  phil- 


Psychomctrv  and  Anthropology. 


osophy  of  disease.  In  addition  to  these  three  sciences, 
Cerebral  Psychology,  Cerebral  Physiology  and  Sarc- 
ognomy,  Anthropology  presents  the  fundamental 
mathematical  law  of  action  for  both  brain  and  body 
which  governs  every  gesture,  every  vital  process  or 
movement,  all  expression  of  character,  and  in  short 
all  relations  of  the  psychic  to  the  physical  in  man  and 
also  throughout  the  Universe. 

The  accompany  engraving  is  an  illustration  of  the 
positive  system  of  Psychology  which  I  have  thus 
demonstrated,  the  outlines  of  which  were,  given  in 
my  System  of  Anthropology  published  in  1854,  which 
has  been  accepted  as  true  by  all  who  have  become 
acquainted  with  its 
principles  and  their  il- 
lustrations. 

The  presentation  of 
the  science  at  New 
York  in  1842,  caused 
the  appointment  of  a 
committee  of  investi- 
gation whose  report 
was  noticed  in  an  in- 
teresting article  in  the 
Democratic  Review  of 
January,  1843,  of 
which  I  reproduce  a 
portion  to  give  the 
reader  a  further  illus- 
tration of  the  science  and  its  recognition  by  the 
enlightened  gentlemen  who  examined  its  claims  at 
New  York. 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology.  5 

Tn  the  first  presentation  of  my  discoveries  I  used  the 
most  comprehensive  term  possible,  viz.  NEUROLOGY - 
which  as  the  science  of  all  nervous  matter  and  its 
functions  includes  all  Biology  or  Physiology  —  all 
forms  of  animal  life  that  have  ever  existed.  But  as 
the  popular  presentation  of  the  subject  relates  chiefly 
to  man,  I  have  since  preferred  the  term  Anthropology. 
This  explains  the  title  adopted  in  the  Review  as 
follows  : 

NEUROLOGY     IN     NEW    YORK.* 

QILEQUE     IPSE     VIDI. 

In  surveying  the  history  of  discoveries  in  natural 
science,  one  of  the  most  peculiar  facts  that  strike  the 
view  is  the  circumstance  that  for  years,  aye  and  even 
ages,  preceding  the  development  of  some  important 
principle,  many  of  the  leading  phenomena  had  been 
repeatedly  observed ;  and  when  the  grand  conclu- 
sion deduced  from  these  phenomena  was  once 
announced  to  the  world,  the  result  excited  less 
astonishment  than  the  circumstance  of  its  having 
been  so  long  unperceived.  Men  of  the  most  exal- 
ted genius  would  seem  often  to  stumble  over  these 
facts,  and  even  not  unfrequently  to  pick  them  up 
and  handle  them,  and  still  fail  to  discover  their  most 
obvious  bearing.  Hence  it  has  always  occurred  that 
attempts  have  been  made  to  rob  the  discoverer  of 
his  honors,  however  well  merited,  on  the  ground  that 
certain  of  the  essential  facts  had  been  previously  well 
known.  Thus  has  it  been  with  the  kindred  subject 

*  From  the  Democratic  Review  —  January,  1843. 


6  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

of  Phrenology,  whose  enemies,  failing  in  the  effort 
to  subvert  its  principles,  endeavored  to  show  that 
what  was  true  in  it  was  not  new,  and  what  was  new 
was  not  true.  And  in  illustration  of  the  circumstance 
just  adverted  to,  that  the  tendency  of  natural  phe- 
nomena is  often  by  no  means  appreciated  even  by 
the  most  acute  observers,  it  may  be  mentioned  that 
Gall  himself  once  struck  accidentally  upon  one  of 
the  most  important  facts  of  "  Neurology  "  without 
discovering  the  general  law  to  which  it  most  obvi- 
ously pointed.  The  same  remark  is  applicable  to 
the  experiments  without  number  performed  during 
the  last  fifty  years  in  France,  Germany,  England, 
and  the  United  States,  upon  subjects  put  into  the 
somnambulic  state  by  means  of  the  Mesmeric  pro- 
cess. 

The  earliest  knowledge  that  we  have  of  these 
discoveries  in  "Neurology"  on  the  part  of  Dr. 
Buchanan,  is,  that  in  April,  1841,  he  was  giving 
public  lectures  and  experiments  on  the  subject  at 
Little  Rock,  Arkansas.  We  are  the  more  particu- 
lar in  referring  to  this  date,  as  an  attempt  has  been 
made  in  the  city  of  New  York  to  establish  a  priority 
of  claim,  based  upon  experiments  made  in  the  latter 
part  of  the  same  year.  But  by  this  time  the 
announcement  of  Dr.  Buchanan's  discoveries  had 
spread,  by  means  of  the  journals  of  the  day,  over 
the  whole  extent  of  our  wide  domain.  "  These 
experiments,"  in  the  words  of  their  author,  "occu- 
pied the  whole  ground  of  Phrenology  ;  more  than 
doubled  the  number  of  distinct  organs ;  and  estab- 
lished propositions  in  physiology  and  therapeutics, 


Psychomctry  and  Anthropology.  7 

of  much  more  importance  than  the  Phrenological 
doctrines  which  had  thus  been  established."  Instead 
of  hastening  to  our  Atlantic  cities,  in  the  reasonable 
hope  that  here  a  discovery  of  such  magnitude  would 
be  speedily  and  fully  appreciated,  Dr.  Buchanan 
remained  in  the  far  West,  quietly  prosecuting  his 
investigations  to  the  end  of  perfecting  his  system 
of  Neurologv.  So  far  as  regards  cerebral  excita- 

o./  o 

bility,  he  could  not  but  be  aware  that  others  would, 
by  this  process,  attract  the  public  mind,  and  that  it 
would  be  caught  up  even  for  popular  exhibitions ; 
but  justly  considering  this  as  entirely  subordinate  to 
the  science  he  aimed  to  establish  by  this  means,  he 
directed  his  efforts  solely  to  the  accomplishment  of 
the  scientific  end  in  view. 

As  these  discoveries  embrace,  in  their  wide  range, 
not  only  the  mental  physiology  of  the  brain,  consti- 
tuting Phrenology,  but  also  the  physiology  of  every 
corporeal  organ  as  dependent  upon  special  portions 
of  the  cerebral  mass,  it  follows  that  it  was  necessary 
to  substitute  a  new  term.  Were  the  functions  of 
the  brain  exclusively  mental,  the  term,  Phrenology, 
would  be  sufficiently  comprehensive ;  but  as  its  con- 
trol over  the  corporeal  functions  is  ruot  less  decided 
and  important,  the  term  Neurology^  or  science  of 
the  nervous  substance,  has  been  judiciously  selected 
as  expressive  of  all  the  phenomena  comprised  within 
its  wide  limits.  These  two  classes  of  functions,  Dr. 
Buchanan  distinguished  by  the  terms  -psychological 
and  -physiological,  which  are,  indeed  quite  expres- 
sive in  their  more  popular  acceptation  ;  but,  as  the 
phenomena  of  the  mind,  in  our  present  existence, 


8  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

can  be  manifested  only  through  the  cerebral  struc- 
ture, we  cannot  see  that  this  class  of  functions  is  less 
physiological  than  the  other.  This  double  function 
of  the  brain,  as  demonstrated  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  we 
consider  as  its  mental  and  corporeal  physiology. 

To  Dr.  Buchanan  is  due  the  distinguished  honor  of 
being  the  first  individual  to  excite  the  organs  of  the 
brain  by  agencies  applied  externally  directly  over 
t/iem,before  which  the  discoveries  of  Gall,  Spurzheim, 
or  Sir  Charles  Bell  —  men  who  have  been  justly 
regarded  as  benefactors  of  their  race  —  dwindle  into 
comparative  insignificance.  This  important  discovery 
has  given  us  a  key  to  man's  nature  —  moral,  intel- 
lectual, and  physical ;  for,  by  this  means,  in 
"impressible"  subjects,  have  become  discoverable 
the  various  cerebral  organs  which  are  not  only  con- 
nected with  the  phenomena  of  thought  and  feeling, 
but  control  the  corporeal  functions.  As  man  is  per- 
vaded by  the  imponderable  and  invisible  fluids,  which 
radiate  from  him  unceasingly,  such  as  the  electric, 
galvanic,  magnetic,  and  (according  to  Dr.  Buchanan) 
"  nervauric,"  the  laws  of  these  he  would  seem  also 
to  have  demonstrated.  He  has  likewise  clearly  estab- 
lished the  geheral  truths  of  Phrenology,  corrected 
many  errors  of  detail,  and  developed  the  subject  with 
such  a  degree  of  minuteness,  that  it  now  may  be 
said  to  resemble  the  full-grown  adult  as  compared 
with  the  child. 

"  Neurology,  "  says  Dr.  Buchanan,  "  while  it 
incorporates  the  entire  mass  of  Physiology  with 
Phrenology,  makes  a  revolution  in  the  latter  science. 
Although  the  greater  portions  of  the  organs  discov- 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology.  9 

ered  by  Gall  and  Spurzheirn,  have  been,  in  the  main, 
correctly  described,  yet  experiment  has  proved  about 
one-third  of  the  number  to  have  been  incorrectly 
understood.  Nor  does  the  catalogue  of  Gall,  Spurz- 
heim,  Combe,  or  Vimont,  embrace  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  functions  to  explain  the  diversified  phenomena 
of  human  character.  *  *  *  The  number  of  indepen- 
dent functions  which  may  thus  be  demonstrated  by 
experiment  with  an  adequately  susceptible  person, 
amounts  to  one  hundred  and  sixty-six ;  but,  for  con- 
venience of  instruction,  I  demonstrate  usually  not 
more  than  one  hundred.  With  a  subject  of  large 
brain,  well  cultivated  mind,  and  high  susceptibility, 
I  have  no  doubt  that  even  as  many  as  two  hundred 
might  be  shown  distinctly." 

The  agent  employed  most  generally  by  Dr. 
Buchanan  to  excite  the  various  functions  of  the 
nervous  system,  is  the  same  as  that  used  in  the 
operations  termed  Mesmerism  or  Animal  Magne- 
tism, viz.  :  the  aura  of  the  nevous  system,  which  is 
radiated  and  conducted  freely  from  the  human  hand. 
Instead,  however,  of  putting  the  subject  first  into  the 
Mesmeric  somnambulic  condition,  which  renders  the 
phenomena  that  follow  highly  deceptive  and  inacu- 
rate,  Dr.  Buchanan  operates  upon  his  subject  in  the 
waking  state,  free  from  the  mental  delusions  which 
may  be  supposed  to  pertain  to  somnambulism.  This 
impressible  class,  which  is  a  very  limited  one,  may 
not  only  have  a  portion  of  the  brain  so  energetically 
stimulated,  by  the  touch  of  another,  as  to  manifest 
its  particular  function  predominantly ;  but  the  indi- 
vidual becomes  equally  excited  when  he  places  his 


io  Psychomctry  and  Anthropology. 

fingers  on  the  cranial  regions  of  the  cerebral  organs 
of  another  person. 

These  characteristic  and  leading  principles  of  Dr. 
Buchanan's  system,  are  here  adverted  to  merely  in 
a  general  way,  as  they  will  be  again  brought  under 
notice  by  us,  both  in  a  sketch  of  the  principles  of 
Neurology  by  Dr.  Buchanan  himself,  and  in  the 
diversified  experiments  of  a  committee,  appointed  by 
a  public  audience  in  the  city  of  New  York,  for  the 
purpose  of  investigating  the  pretensions  of  Dr. 
Buchanan  to  the  claim  of  having  enlarged  the 
boundaries  of  anthropological  science. 

These  announcements  are,  indeed,  of  a  startling 
character,  extraordinary  to  all,  and  to  many  wholly 
beyond  credence.  Had  Dr.  Buchanan  lived  in  an 
earlier  age  of  the  world,  when  philosophy  had  not 
yet  asserted  its  noble  prerogative  of  releasing  the 
mind  from  the  bondage  of  superstition,  instead  of 
being  regarded  as  a  bold  and  original  thinker  and  an 
untiring  searcher  after  truth,  he  would  have  been 
dreaded,  or  perhaps  persecuted,  as  a  necromancer 
casting  his  magic  spells  over  the  body  and  soul  of  his 
victim.  But,  notwithstanding  the  wise  in  all  ages, 
seeing  the  deceptions  constantly  practiced  on  man- 
kind by  the  marvellous,  have  been  very  justly  on  their 
guard  against  easy  credulity,  it  does  not  become  the 
true  philosopher  of  the  nineteenth  century  to  close  the 
organs  of  his  five  external  senses  against  the  intrusion 
of  any  evidence  which  might  possibly  disturb  some 
favorite  and  long  cherished  system.  It  does  not 
become  the  philosophic  enquirer  to  decide  precipitately 
that  any  phenomenon  is  too  marvellous  for  belief. 


Psychomctrv  and  Anthropology.  II 

Many  natural  phenomena,  which  were  formerly 
regarded  with  superstitious  awe,  as,  for  instance,  the 
Spectre  of  Brocken,  which  consisted  of  the  gigantic 
image  of  a  man  delineated  on  the  sky  —  the  fact  of 
troops  performing  their  evolutions  on  the  surface  of  a 
lake,  or  on  the  face  of  an  inaccessible  precipice  —  or 
the  equally  extraordinary  phantasm  of  a  ship's  being 
seen  in  the  air,  in  the  solitude  of  the  ocean's  waste, 
notwithstanding  no  vessel  was  within  reach  of  the 
eye  —  are  all  now  satisfactorily  explained  by  the 
unequal  refractive  powers  of  the  atmosphere  arising 
from  its  variable  temperature.  "  It  is  impossible," 
says  Dr.  Brewster,  "  to  study  these  phenomena  with- 
out being  impressed  with  the  conviction,  that  nature  is 
full  of  the  marvellous,  and  that  the  progress  of 
science,  and  the  diffusion  of  knowledge,  are  alone 
capable  of  dispelling  the  fears  which  her  wonders 
must  necessarily  excite,  even  in  enlightened  minds." 

In  like  manner,  to  those  unaware  that  each  mental 
faculty  has  its  distinct  organ  in  the  brain,  the  proposi- 
tion that  these  emotions  or  faculties  may  be  excited  at 
will,  as  when  we  call  forth  the  different  notes  of  a 
musical  instrument,  is  so  startling  as  to  be  beyond 
credibility ;  but  to  the  mind  of  the  phrenologist,  who 
has  been  wont  to  contemplate  the  great  truths  of  his 
science,  the  announcement  of  such  results  offers  no 
violence.  This  field  of  scientific  research,  which 
offers  a  harvest  rich  in  new  and  valuable  facts,  is  open 
to  every  laborer ;  and  we  find,  accordingly,  that  it 
has  been  already  entered  upon  by  many  philosophical 
enquirers.  We,  as  well  as  may  others,  have  wit- 
nessed repeated  experimental  verifications  of  the 


12  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

excitement  of  the  separate  organs  of  the  brain,  thus 
calling  forth,  in  an  intense  degree,  their  natural  lan- 
guage and  action.  Although  the  number  of  those 
having  brains  thus  excitable  is  comparatively  small, 
yet  in  every  society  of  a  few  hundred  individuals, 
there  will  be  found  some  subjects  impressible  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree.  To  those  in  whom  scepticism  is 
a  predominant  organ,  we  would  seriously  recommend 
the  perusal  of  the  following  lines  written  by  Galileo 
to  Kepler,  which  are  not  the  worse  for  having  been 
often  quoted  : 

"  Here,  at  Padua,  is  the  principal  -professor  of 
•philosophy,  whom  I  have  repeatedly  and  urgently 
requested  to  look  at  the  moon  and  planets  through  my 
glasses,  which  he  pertinaciously  refuses  to  do" 

We  would  now  proceed  to  illustrate  the  general 
subject  of  NEUROLOGY,  by  bringing  before  the  reader 
certain  portions  of  a  report  on  experimental  inves- 
tigations, published  in  the  Evening  Post  of  the  6th 
December,  entitled — "  Minutes  of  the  proceedings 
of  a  Committee  appointed  by  the  public  audience 
attending  the  lectures  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  to  superin- 
tend experiments  relating  to  «  Neurology,'  and  to  pre- 
pare experiments  suitable  for  public  exhibition." 

The  committee  met  on  the  4th  and  5th  of  Novem- 
ber, and  spent  several  hours  each  day  in  the  perfor- 
mance of  a  variety  of  experiments ;  but,  as  a  general 
impression  prevailed  that  the  results  exhibited  were 
not,  on  the  whole,  of  a  character  so  marked  and  une- 
quivocal as  to  be  very  satisfactory,  Dr.  Buchanan 
stated  that  he  had  relied  on  the  expectation  that  some 
impressible  subjects  would  be  brought  to  the  meeting 


Psychomctry  and,  Anthropology.  13 

by  members  of  the  committee,  but  that  there  had  not 
been  any  of  a  character  other  than  very  imperfect  and 
doubtful.  He  suggested  that  a  sub-committee  should 
be  appointed,  who  could  witness  experiments,  in 
greater  privacy,  upon  some  subjects  who  might  be 
found  unwilling  to  appear  before  so  large  a  number  as 
the  general  committee,  and  who  would  also  be  able  to 
bestow  more  time  on  the  investigation  of  the  subject 
than  could  be  done  by  the  larger  number.  This  'sug- 
gestion being  adopted,  the  following  gentlemen  were 
appointed  as  that  sub-committee  :  —  Rev.  Henry  W. 
Bellows,  Messrs.  William  C.  Bryant  and  John  L. 
O'Sullivan,  and  Dr.  Samuel  Forry.  The  first  named 
of  these  gentlemen  was  prevented  by  absence  from 
the  city  from  being  present  at  the  greater  part  of  the 
experiments  made,  and  from  participating  in  the 
report. 

We  will  present,  in  the  first  place,  the  conclusions 
of  this  sub-committee  : 

"  REPORT    OF    THE    SUB-COMMITTEEc 

"  The  sub-committee,  appointed  to  witness  private 
experiments  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  beg  leave  to  report,  to 
the  committee  from  which  their  appointment  emanated, 
that  they  have  held  meetings,  of  which  an  account  is 
given  in  their  minutes  subjoined.  Their  object  has 
been  to  give  the  subject  an  attention,  at  the  same 
time  cautious  and  candid,  and  to  present  a  simple 
statement  of  their  observations,  to  serve  as  a  basis  for 
the  deductions  of  others,  rather  than  of  any  positive 
conclusions  of  their  own,  as  to  the  correctness  of 


14  Psychomctry  aiid  Anthropology. 

those  views  and  opinions  to  which  Dr.  Buchanan  has 
given  the  name  of  the  science  of  '  Neurology,'  as 
discovered  and  developed  by 'him. 

"  For  the  sake  of  rendering  more  intelligible  the 
bearing  of  the  facts  and  appearances  observed,  upon 
those  principles  propounded  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  of 
which  they  are  presented  as  illustrations  and  evi- 
dences, the  sub-committee  present  also  a  brief  and 
general  statement  of  the  outlines  of  Dr.  Buchanan's 
system,  as  furnished  by  himself  at  their  request. 

"  In  justice  to  Dr.  Buchanan,  they  at  the  same 
time  feel  bound  to  declare  the  highly  favorable  man- 
ner in  which,  throughout  all  the  intercourse  growing 
out  of  this  investigation,  they  have  been  impressed 
by  the  evident  intelligence,  sincerity,  and  earnest- 
ness of  convictions,  and  truthfulness  of  conduct  and 
deportment,  strongly  characterizing  that  gentleman ; 
and  that  they  are  fully  satisfied  of  the  honorable 
motives  prompting  his  present  devotion  to  these 
investigations,  in  the  sole  spirit  of  a  student  of 
science,  a  pursuer  of  truth,  and  a  friend  of  his  race. 
They  will  also  add  that,  feeling  every  reason  to 
believe  in  the  good  faith  and  veracity  of  the  subjects 
of  these  experiments  —  independent  of  those  experi- 
ments which  were,  in  themselves,  of  a  nature  to 
preclude  deception  —  they  deem  it  their  duty,  in  view 
of  the  extraordinary  facts  they  have  witnessed,  to 
say  that,  although  they  have  obtained  a  very  imper- 
fect knowledge  of  the  system  of  Dr.  Buchanan,  and 
have  been  prevented  by  the  pressure  of  their  other 
avocations  from  bestowing  on  the  subject  as  much 
time  as  would  have  been  desirable  to  themselves ; 


Psychomctrv  and  Anthropology.  15 

they  have  had  sufficie'nt  evidence  to  satisfy  them  that 
Dr.  Buchanan's  views  have  a  rational  experimental 
foundation,  and  that  the  subject  opens  a  field  of 
investigation  second  to  no  other  in  immediate  interest, 
and  in  promise  of  important  future  results  to  science 
and  humanity. 

"  The  different  members  of  the  sub-committee  have 
not  all  been  present  at  all  the  meetings  described  in 
their  minutes.  Some  of  them  have,  however,  in 
private,  on  other  occasions  than  those  here  referred 
to,  witnessed  other  similar  experiments,  of  the  most 
interesting  and  satisfactory  character,  which  are  not 
here  described,  because  not  witnessed  by  them  col- 
lectively, in  that  capacity  in  which  alone  they  have 
to  make  the  present  report.  The  absence  of  Mr. 
Bellows  from  the  city,  at  the  time  of  submitting  this 
report,  renders  it  necessary  to  forego  the  advantage 
of  his  participation  in  it.  The  minutes  were  pre- 
pared by  Dr.  Forry,  from  notes  taken  at  the  time 
of  the  various  experiments.  The  papers  appended 
to  this  report  are  a  brief  and  general  statement,  by 
Dr.  Buchanan,  of  the  outlines  of  his  system  or 
science  of  '  Neurology,'  and  the  minutes  of  the  pro- 
ceedings of  the  sub-committee. 

"  All  of  which  is  respectfully  submitted. 
"  WM.  C.  BRYANT, 

"J.    L.    O'SULLIVAN, 

"  SAMUEL  FORRY,  M.  D." 

Every  reader  must  determine  for  himself  the  degree 
of  confidence  to  which  the  statements  of  this  commit- 
tee are  entitled.  The  name  of  one  of  its  members 


16  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

is  already  classical  in  the  English  language ;  Dr. 
Forry's  recent  excellent  work  on  the  Climate  and 
Endemic  Influences  of  the  United  States  has  given 
him,  though  a  young  man,  an  honorable  place  among 
the  scientific  observers  and  writers  of  the  day  ;  while, 
however  otherwise  obscure,  the  remaining  name  is 
not  unknown  to  the  readers  of  the  Review,  through 
which  he  has  the  honor,  monthly,  of  coming  into  a 
relation  with  them,  grateful  on  the  one  side,  and  not 
unfriendly,  it  is  hoped,  on  the  other. 

The  following  outlines  of  the  principles  of  Neuro- 
logy, by  Dr.  Buchanan  himself,  will,  in  connection 
with  the  remarks  already  made,  afford  the  reader  at 
least  some  general  idea  of  the  subject  : 

' '  Gentlemen  —  As  you  desire  from  me  a  sketch  of 
the  principles  of  Neurology,  I  submit  the  folio  wing- 
brief  statement,  hoping  that  its  brevity  will  not  render 
it  obscure  : 

"  The  word  Neurology,  as  it  relates  to  man,  is  but 
another  name  for  the  great  science  of  Anthropology, 
because  the  science  of  the  nervous  substance  neces- 
sarily includes  all  the  manifestations  of  mind  and  life 
connected  with  or  dependent  upon  that  substance, 
which  we  know  is  the  seat  of  life  and  the  organ  of 
the  mind. 

"  Physiology,  Pathology,  Insanity,  and  what  has 
been  called  Animal  Magnetism,  Mental  Philosophy 
or  Phrenology,  Cranioscopy,  Physiognomy,  Educa- 
tion, etc.,  are  partial  views  of  the  phenomena  and 
systematic  laws  of  the  human  constitution,  which 
constitute  the  science  of  Neurology. 

* '  The  characteristic  feature  of  that  system  of  Neu- 


Psychomctrv  and  Anthropology.  17 

rology  which  I  have  brought  before  the  public  is. 
that  it  has  been  established  by  means  of  cautious  and 
decisive  experiments,  and  may  easily  be  verified  by 
any  individual  who  has  the  necessary  patience  to  pur- 
sue the  investigation  of  the  subject. 

"  The  experiments  consist  in  exciting  the  various 
functions  of  the  nervous  substance  in  the  cranium  or 
the  body  by  the  application  of  the  proper  stimulating 
agents.  Every  article  of  the  materia  medica  pos- 
sesses in  some  form,  or  to  some  extent,  the  power  of 
exciting  and  modifying  the  functions ;  Galvanism, 
Electricity,  Magnetism,  and  Caloric,  possess  efficient 
exciting  powers ;  but  no  agent  that  I  have  used  pos- 
sesses so  efficient,  and  at  the  same  time,  so  congenial 
an  influence,  as  the  aura  of  the  nervous  system. 

"  This  Nervaura,  which  is  the  agent  by  which  one 
'individual  makes  a  physiological  impression  upon 
another,  when  in  contact,  is  radiated  and  conducted 
freely  from  the  human  hand.  The  experiments  which 
I  have  made  in  your  presence,  consist  in  applying 
this  Nervaura  to  the  various  portions  of  the  brain, 
upon  which  it  may  make  an  impression  through  the 
cranium  and  the  face,  which  present  no  obstacles  to 
its  transmission. 

' '  To  develop  important  results  from  such  experi- 
ments, it  is  necessary  that  we  should  make  them  upon 
persons  whose  cerebral  action  is  easily  excited,  or 
deranged  by  slight  influences.  It  is  necessary  that 
the  portion  of  the  brain  which  we  excite  should  be 
so  energetically  stimulated  as  to  become  predominant 
over  all  the  other  portions,  and  to  manifest  its  func- 
tions in  a  pure  and  distinct  form,  unmingled  with 


1 8  Psyctometry  and  Anthropology. 

any  different  or  counteracting  functions.  It  is  also 
extremely  desirable  that  the  experiments  should  be 
made  upon  persons  whose  mental  cultivation,  sagac- 
ity, and  integrity,  render  their  descriptions  of  their 
own  sensations  cautious,  exact,  and  worthy  of  implicit 
confidence. 

"  As  my  experiments  have  been  repeated  by  many 
Phrenologists  and  others,  and  have  generally  been 
attempted  by  them  during  the  state  of  somnambulism 
superinduced  by  mesmeric  operations,  I  would  remark 
that  such  experiments  are  often  highly  deceptive  and 
inaccurate.  Experiments  should  be  made  in  the  nat- 
ural condition  of  the  subject,  and  free  from  the  imag- 
inative excitement  which  belongs  to  somnambulism. 
As  far  as  I  have  heard  of  the  result  of  the  somnam- 
bulic  experiments,  I  know  of  but  few  cases  in  which 
the  operator  has  not  been  misled  by  his  imaginative 
subject. 

"  An  extensive  course  of  experiments  upon  persons 
of  intelligence,  in  their  natural  state  of  mind,  has 
established  and  placed  beyond  a  doubt,  the  fact  that 
the  brain,  as  a  psychological  organ,  manifests  an 
immense  number  of  mental  functions,  and  that  there 
are  no  phrenological  divisions  in  the  brain,  other  than 
the  anfractuosities  of  the  convolutions,  and  that  ther; 
are  no  simple  primitive  cerebral  organs  manifesting  a 
pure  special  single  function,  unless  we  carry  our  sub- 
divisions so  far  as  to  make  a  primitive  organ  of  each 
constituent  fibre  of  a  convolution. 

"  The  number  of  cerebral  organs  which  we  may 
recognize  is,  therefore,  a  matter  of  arbitrary  arrange- 
ment, as  we  may  divide  the  brain,  for  convenience, 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology.  19 

into  three,  four,  or  five  regions,  or  with  equal  preci- 
sion and  functional  accuracy,  into  three,  four,  or  five 
hundred.  From  fifty  to  a  hundred  subdivisions  would 
be  as  many  as  we  can  learn  to  locate  correctly,  and 
is  a  sufficient  number  for  practical  purposes. 

"It  is.  established  with  equal  certainty,  that  the 
brain  is  as  much  a  physiological  organ  as  a  psychol- 
ogical organ,  and  that  it  maintains  its  sympathies  with 
the  body,  and  exercises  its  controlling  power  over  it 
by  means  of  certain  conductor  organs  at  the  base  of 
the  encephalon,  by  which  it  radiates  volitionary,  cir- 
culatory and  secretory  influences  to  the  muscular  sys- 
tem and  other  tissues  of  the  body.  Each  portion  of 
the  brain  has  an  intimate  relation  or  sympathy  with  its 
particular  region  of  the  body,  and  exercises  a  modi- 
fying influence  upon  the  general  circulation  and  inner- 
vation  of  the  system.  It  is  through  the  conductor 
organs  that  the  special  relations  of  the  brain  and  the 
body  are  established,  and  all  the  physiological  effects 
which  may  be  produced  by  operating  upon  the  brain, 
"may  be  as  easily,  and,  indeed,  more  promptly  evolved 
by  operating  upon  the  corresponding  conductors, 
which  transmit  their  influence  directly. 

"Thus  do  we  explain  the  relations  of  the  brain  to 
the  body,  and  by  carrying  out  the  mathematical  laws 
of  cerebral  physiology,  we  show  the  influence  of  each 
hemisphere  of  the  brain  upon  the  opposite  hemis- 
phere, and  through  that  upon  the  correlative  half  of 
the  body. 

"  To  explain  the  relations  of  the  mind  to  the  brain, 
and  the  peculiar  mode  or  laws  of  their  connection, 
would  not  be  a  more  difficult  task  than  to  explain  the 


2O  Psychomctry  and  Anthropology. 

relation  between  the  brain  and  the  body  —  either  of 
which  would  seem  to  the  novice  a  chimerical  under- 
taking. 

s*This  higher  psychological  philosophy,  however, 
constitutes  no  part  of  the  psychologico-physiological 
system  to  which  I  have  called  the  attention  of  the 
public,  and  which  aims  at  extensive  educational  and 
medical  utility.  Of  this  system,  I  have  given  you  a 
few  imperfect  illustrations,  and  regret  that  I  have  not 
had  the  opportunity  of  illustrating,  in  your  presence, 
the  beneficial  influence  which  may  be  exerted  upon 
the  sick. 

"The  experiments  with  medicines  applied  to  the 
fingers,  were  designed  to  illustrate  some  important 
principles  in  reference  to  human  impressibility,  and  the 
mode  in  which  medicines  produce  their  effects. 

"  The  experiment  of  bringing  an  impressible  per- 
son into  contact  with  the  head  of  another,  illustrates 
the  laws  of  the  transmission  of  the  nervaura,  and  pre- 
sents us  a  method  of  accomplishing  a  perfect  diagno- 
sis of  disease,  as  well  as  of  exploring  the  physiology 
of  the  brain,  and  ascertaining  the  characters  of  differ- 
ent individuals.  This  method,  which  I  have  been  for 
some  time  engaged  in  applying  to  practice,  must  ulti- 
mately take  the  precedence  of  all  other  methods  of 
diagnosis  and  examination,  either  for  character,  for 
disease,  or  for  the  establishment  of  scientific  principles. 
"  In  conclusion,  permit  me  to  remark,  that  the  prin- 
ciples of  Neurology  have  been  established  by  innum- 
erable coincident  harmonious  facts,  similar  to  those 
which  you  have  witnessed,  and  that  unless  the  testi- 
mony of  our  senses  is  utterly  false,  or  unless  a  large 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology p,  21 

number  of  intelligent  observers  have  been  suddenly 
seized  by  an  epidemic  and  methodic  insanity,  a  new 
class  of  facts  has  been  developed,  and  a  new  science 
exists,  which  imperiously  demands  the  attention  of  all 
lovers  of  truth  or  friends  of  man,  and  which,  if  even 
half  of  its  bright  promise  is  realized,  must  originate  a 
great  and  happy  era  in  the  history  of  human  progress. 

"With  high  respect,   enhanced  by  the  cordiality, 
courtesy     and    promptness   with    which     you     have 
engaged  in  your  recent  duties,  I  remain, 
' '  Your  humble  servant, 

"Jos.  R.  BUCHANAN. 

"  Messrs.  Bryant,  Forry  and  O'Sullivan." 

In  view  of  the  preceding  observations,  it  may  be 
asked  —  Whither  is  this  new  science  to  lead  us  ? 
Are  the  old  landmarks  of  knowledge  to  be  set  aside  ; 
and  are  we  to  pull  down  every  system  which  has 
been  built  up  upon  consciousness,  or  upon  the  tedious 
gatherings  of  observation?  Is  this  new  system  to 
subvert  all  its  predecessors,  and  then  be  overwhelmed 
in  turn  by  another  theory  —  a  still  shorter  royal  road 
to  wisdom? 

We  answer,  No.  Systems  pass  away,  but  truths 
survive ;  and  every  new  truth  added  to  our  stock  of 
knowledge,  notwithstanding  it  may  destroy  som^ 
error,  cannot  crush  or  obscure  a  previously  known 
truth.  The  new  demonstrative  school  of  meta- 
physics will,  we  are  confident,  develop  and  confirm 
many  of  the  principles  which,  heretofore,  as  no  expe- 
rimental mode  of  testing  them  was  known,  have  been 
sustained  by  reason  alone.  We  observe  that  memory 


22  Psychotnctry  and  Anthropology* 

has  been  restored  to  its  rightful  place  in  the  catalogue 
of  our  faculties  by  the  new  system.  Consciousness 
and  abstraction  are  also  recognized  as  special  facul- 
ties, dependent  upon  special  organs.  We  expect  to 
see  many  of  the  doctrines  of  Locke,  Reid,  Stewart 
and  Brown  established  experimentally  on  the  new 
physiological  basis. 

We  expect  to  see  a  subtile  and  intricately  arranged 
philosophy  spring  up  from  these  investigations,  as 
different  from  the  crude  system  of  Gall,  as  is  the 
bright  face  of  Nature,  with  all  her  diversities  of 
mountain,  plain,  forest,  field,  river,  and  sea,  from 
the  rudely  sketched  outline  of  a  school-boy's  map. 

But  to  what  else  will  it  lead?  If  impressibility  is 
most  frequently  found  among  those  of  refined  organi- 
zation, why  may  it  not  be  evinced  by  some  man  of 
genius?  If  so,  may  not  the  intellectual  organs  be 
stimulated  to  a  higher  degree  of  activity,  than  results 
from  ordinary  influences  ?  May  not  a  cerebral  power 
be  generated,  bordering  upon  the  supernatural  energy 
of  insanity?  And  may  not  this  intense  intellectual 
excitement  be  directed  to  useful  purposes,  in  the 
investigation  or  illustration  of  truth?  May  not  the 
student  rouse  his  memory,  when  it  fails  to  recall 
the  knowledge  that  it  once  possessed?  May  not  the 
naturalist  and  the  artift  have  the  external  senses 
rendered  more  acute  ?  May  not  the  faculties  of  sight, 
touch,  taste,  and  smell,  be  sharpened,  for  minute 
investigation  of  physical  science? 

May  we  not,  by  various  excitements,  produce  all 
t'iu'  diseases  and  all  the  conditions  to  which  the 
human  mind  and  body  are  subject?  May  we  not 


Psychomctry  and  Anthropology.  23 

ascertain  the  condition  of  the  mind  and  of  the  brain 
in  insanity,  sleep,  dreaming,  trance,  and  the  act  of 
dying?  May  we  not  determine  the  seat  of  life,  and 
discover  in  what  portion  of  the  brain  the  mental 
action  is  last  perceived  —  from  what  spot  the  soul 
takes  its  final  departure?  May  we  not  besiege  and 
torture  Nature  with  ingenious  and  searching  experi- 
ments, until  we  compel  her  to  confess  her  secrets? 

We  put  these  questions  because  they  seem  natur- 
ally to  arise  from  the  establishment  of  the  fact,  that 
we  can  compel  the  various  fibres  of  the  brain  to 
manifest  their  functions ;  and  thus  we  may  interro- 
gate Nature  as  it  were,  by  the  most  rigid  examina- 
tions. We  believe  that  all  that  we  have  hinted  at, 
and  much  more,  is  comprehended  in  the  system  of 
Dr.  Buchanan ;  and  that  these  various  points  have 
been  made  the  subject  of  experiment,  we  know.  His 
views  have  not  yet  been  embodied  in  a  volume,  to 
which  we  might  refer  for  their  nature  and  scope  ;  but 
we  know  that  he  aspires  to  go  as  far  as  human  intel- 
lect can  pierce  the  almost  impenetrable  mysteries  of 
life  and  mind.  Should  he  ever  present  to  the  public 
that  "  higher  psychological  system  of  philosophy," 
of  which  he  speaks  as  distinct  from  Neurology,  we 
anticipate  something  of  a  still  more  strange  and 
startling  character. 

If  all  the  elements  of  humanity  can  be  summoned 
up  at  the  beck  of  the  skillful  experimentalist,  we 
cannot  but  believe  that  many  a  rare  and  strange  fea- 
ture of  our  common  nature  will  be  brought  to  light. 
The  elements  of  genius,  of  poetry,  of  love,  and  of 
the  mysterious  sympathies  of  mind  with  mind,  will 


24  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

be  brought  forth,  and  subjected,  like  the  gay  orna- 
ment of  the  skies  —  the  rainbow  —  to  philosophical 
analysis.  As  the  natural  philosopher  explains  its  beau- 
tiful effect  by  the  laws  of  that  luminous  medium,  which, 
by  passing  through  the  drops  of  water,  presents  to 
the  eye  a  brilliant  spectrum ;  so  will  he,  perhaps, 
explain  how  that  higher  medium  —  the  Divine  Aura 
of  life  and  thought  —  passing  through  the  white  and 
gray  matter  of  the  cerebral  convolutions,  originates 
the  affections  and  all  the  poetry  of  life.  Would  it  be 
strange  if  he*  should  discover  through  what  medium 
the  soul  acts  upon  its  corporeal  tenement,  or  that 
there  are  media  heretofore  unknown,  and  of  a  nature 
different  from  the  galvanic  and  magnetic?  Would  it 
be  incredible  that  faculties  should  be  discovered  in 
man,  which  have  been  sometimes  supposed  to  exist 
in  the  gifted  few,  but  which  are  entirely  unknown 
and  unfelt  by  the  multitude? 

In  the  great  ideal  of  Humanity,  in  which  we 
embody  its  digniy  and  its  powers  —  worthy  to  be  the 
servant  and  the  agent  of  Divinity  —  we  perceive  that 
which  we  realize  in  no  individual.  There  are  none 
to  be  found  who  even  approximate  the  great  and  per- 
fect type  of  humanity.  How  far  the  noble  nature  of 
man  has  been  debased  cannot  be  told,  nor  how  many 
of  the  world-knowing  and  world-conquering  faculties, 
bestowed  by  his  Creator,  have  been  enfeebled  or 
destroyed.  There  are  continual  aspirations  to  some- 
thing greater  and  better,  which  are  not  gratified,  and 
which  we  cannot  carry  into  execution ;  but  which 
seem  like  vestiges  to  remind  us  of  wrhat  we  should 
be,  and  what  may  once  have  been  the  nature  of  man. 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology.  25 

In  the  system  of  BUCHANAN,  these  vestiges  are  rec- 
ognized ;  a  range  of  faculties  has  been  discovered, 
which  are  now  dormant,  and  which  have  been,  per- 
haps, dormant  for  ages,  in  the  greater  portion  of  the 
human  race.  These  faculties,  giving  a  stimulus  to 
the  mind,  and  expanding  greatly  its  range  of  knowl- 
edge, may,  hereafter,  be  developed  as  features  of  our 
common  nature,  and  be  made  the  means  of  obtaining 
a  loftier  species  of  knowledge  than  has  ever  yet  been 
obtained  by  human  kind." 


The  present  volume  of  Psychometry  is  an  illustra- 
tion of  the  concluding  remarks  of  the  Review  as  to 
the  possibility  of  developing  dormant  intellectual  pow- 
ers and  attaining  "  a  loftier  species  of  knowledge  than 
has  ever  yet  been  obtained  by  human  kind" 

That  loftier  knowledge  is  attained  in  the  psychic 
exploration  of  the  spirit-world,  in  which  are  dwelling 
now  the  millions  of  millions  who  have  occupied  this 
earth  since  it  has  been  habitable  for  man,  and  who,  in 
the  world  of  emancipation  from  matter  and  of  far 
reaching  intelligence  have  attained  a  profundity  of 
wisdom  and  holiness  of  nature  which  would  be  not 
only  inaccessible  but  unintelligible  to  the  juvenile  and 
immature  beings  who  occupy  this  nursery-ground  of 
Immortality. 

The  short-sighted  beings  who  inhabit  this  earth, 
and  whose  proudest  representatives  in  governments, 
colleges  and  churches  live  in  the  unconscious  spiritual 
blindness  which  turns  away  from  truth  and  mistakes 
darkness  for  light,  are  but  embryonic  men  in  intelli- 
gence, compared  to  what  they  will  become  when 


26  Psychomctry  and  Anthropology. 

matured  and  developed  in  the  Divine  light  of  the  nor- 
mal life,  they  vindicate  by  their  nobility  the  assertion 
that  man  was  made  in  the  image  of  God  —  an  asser- 
tion which  might  seem  blasphemous  to  those  who 
know  nothing  of  man  matured,  developed  and  edu- 
cated in  the  supernal  sphere  of  wisdom. 

It  does  not  seem  to  have  occurred  to  the  philoso- 
phers of  the  present  century,  that  the  realm  of  light 
and  life  is  not  in  matter  but  far  away  from  its  contract- 
ing sphere,  and  that  all  attempts  to  penetrate  the  mys- 
teries of  life  by  delving  deeper  in  the  chemistry  of 
material  atoms,  but  plunge  the  mind  in  the  darkness 
of , the  non-living  basis  of  organization  where  every 
path  of  inquiry  ends  in  a  "foramen  ccecum" 

The  imbecility  generated  by  the  habit  of  confining 
thought  to  the  material  and  external  has  rendered  it 
possible  for  Christian  nations  to  believe  the  world  of 
disembodied  spirit  to  be  in  its  highest  sphere  a  realm 
of  monotonous  and  harmless  imbecility,  occupied  like 
an  immense  Kindergarden  in  twanging  harps  and 
singing  songs,  with  hysterical  emphasis,  while  its 
boundless  depth  and  breadth  is  occupied  by  the 
resounding  cries  of  human  agony. 

Psychometry  dismisses  to  oblivion  these  idiotic  pue- 
rilities, and  assures  us  by  direct  perception  of  the 
departed,  that  the  law  of  progress  has  no  illustration 
on  earth  comparable  in  any  degree  to  the  grand  illus- 
tration which  we  realize  when  man  in  becoming  a 
disembodied  spirit  begins  to  manifest  the  divinity  of 
his  nature. 

It  tears  away  the  veil  which  has  hidden  from  our 
vision  the  home  of  light,  of  life  and  joy,  and  showing 


Psychometry  and  Anthropology  27 

how  earth  and  heaven  may  commune,  assures  us 
thereby  of  the  advent  of  a  higher  civilization  in  which 
there  shall  be  not  only  wisdom,  but  the  nobler  ele- 
ment without  which  all  is  dross  —  the  Divine  element 
of  Love  which  exists  in  perfection  in  its  supernal 
home  which  Psychometry  teaches  us  is  accessible  to 
man  and  is  the  source  of  his  inspiration. 

The  enlightened  reader  will  perceive  that  in  these 
remarks  it  is  implied  that  the  world's  religions  are  all  to 
be  recast,  reformed,  elevated,  purified,  enlightened  and 
made  worthy  of  our  highest  conceptions  of  the  Divine. 

If  we  have  free  access  to  the  higher  world  and  free 
access  to  all  the  world's  past  history,  the  records, 
monuments  and  traditions  upon  which  religions  are 
based  are  no  longer  needed.  .Our  sacred  books  may 
still  be  held  in  esteem  and  love,  although  like  the 
lamps  and  lanterns  that  guide  us  in  the  night,  they 
cease  to  be  necessary  when  daylight  reveals  all. 
Psychometry  is,  therefore,  the  herald  of  the  Religion 
of  the  Future  —  not  the  religion  of  the  intellect 
toward  which  many  are  drifting  which  is  not  religion 
at  all  —  but  the  true  religion  of  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wisdom  which  shall  terminate  the  war  of 
arms,  the  war  of  competitive  commerce  and  industry, 
and  the  war  of  the  criminal  classes,  and  shall  embrace 
to  uplift  all  the  unfortunate  and  degraded  classes  of 
society. 

Regarding  this  as  the  grandest  and  most  beneficent 
work  of  Psychometry,  the  uplifting  of  humanity  into 
the  sphere  of  religious  life,  and  religious  wisdom,  I 
regard  it  as  secondary  matter  that  it  extends  our 
knowledge  through  the  vast  realms  of  geology,  pale- 


28  Psychometry  and  Anthropology. 

ontology  and  astronomy  heretofore  inaccessible  to  all 
the  methods  and  apparatus  of  science.  Of  this  I  have 
given  but  a  hint  in  this  volume,  and  in  reference  to 
this  vast  therne  I  would  refer  the  reader  to  Prof. 
Denton's  three  splendid  and  fascinating  volumes 
entitled  "  The  Soul  of  Things,"  a  rich  repository  of 
the'  most  marvelous  knowledge  to  be  found  in  any  sci- 
entific publication.  The  death  of  this  gifted  author 
was  a  calamity  to  science. 

My  own  studies  have  been  concentrated  upon  that 
which  relates  most  nearly  to  man  and  his  welfare. 
Greatest  among  these  themes  is  that  which  concerns 
his  religious  and  moral  elevation. 

The  science  of  Cerebral  Psychology  illustrated  by 
the  engraving  on  page  4,  is  not  a  mere  matter  of 
intellectual  speculation  to  suit  the  demands  of  those 
who  have  been  called  metaphysicians  and  psycholo- 
gists, but  a  profoundly  practical  view  of  human  nature 
which  illustrates  our  duties,  our  social  relations  and 
all  the  laws  of  culture  and  development — the  practi- 
cal application  of  which  has  been  shown  in  my  work 
entitled  ' '  Moral  Education  "  which  shows  how  to  lift 
society  above  the  level  of  pauperism,  intemperance, 
ignorance  and  crime. 

This  new  Psychology  embracing  the  animal  king- 
dom as  well  as  man  will  require  an  extensive  work 
for  its  illustration  and  it  is  not  probable  that  I  shall  be 
able  to  do  it  full  justice  within  the  limits  assigned  me 
by  the  tables  of  mortality. 

THE    SCIENCE    OF    SARCOGNOMY. 

The  great  scientific  and  utilitarian  work  in  which 


Psychomctr*;  and  Anthropology.  29 

Psychometry  has  been  my  assistant,  and  for  which  T 
have  received  the  grateful  and  enthusiastic  expression 
of  the  most  enlightened  physicians  has  been  the  solu- 
tion of  that  greatest  of  mysteries  the  relation  of  soul, 
brain  and  body  —  a  mystery  so  vast  and  so  enshrouded 
in  darkness  that  the  boldest  intelligence  of  all  past 
ages  has  shrunk  from  its  exploration,  and  only  GALL 
and  SWEDENBORG  in  modern  times  have  invaded  this 
realm  of  mystery  in  partial  explorations. 

The  law  of  correspondence  and  association  between 
the  brain  and  body  is  like  that  between  the  soul  and 
brain.  Every  function  of  the  eternal  or  spiritual  man, 
whether  intellectual,  emotional  or  physiological  has 
its  special  apparatus  in  the  nervous  structure  of  the 
brain,  and  cannot  be  manifested  in  any  other  way. 
In  like  manner  every  function  and  organ  of  the  brain 
has  a  corporal  correspondence  or  region  of  the  body  with 
which  it  is  in  close  sympathy.  The  science  of  this 
correspondence  and  connexion  is  called  SARCOGNOMY  ; 
and  as  it  determines  for  every  portion  of  the  surface 
of  the  body  the  exact  physiological  and  psychic  influ- 
ence which  belongs  to  it,  it  enables  us  to  understand 
why  every  disease  has  certain  mental  symptoms  and 
why  each  emotion  has  a  special  influence  on  the  body 
favorable  or  unfavorable  to  certain  diseases. 

By  showing  the  seat  of  each  vital  energy  and  the 
nature  of  the  influx  by  which  life  is  sustained  it  gives 
us  an  intelligent  mastery  of  the  vital  forces  never 
before  possible. 

The  human  body  is  analytically  revealed  before  us 
with  all  its  capacities  and  powers  scientifically  located, 
and  the  physician  who  would  operate  upon  it  is  in  the 


30  Psychomctrv  a  IK?  Anthropology. 

position  of  a  musician  standing  by  the  piano  and 
knowing  in  what  keys  to  find  all  its  tones.  If  he 
would  apply  heat  or  cold,  stimulants,  counter-irritants, 
positive  and  negative  poles  of  batteries  or  the  power 
of  the  human  hand,  he  knows  where  to  apply  for  the 
desired  effect. 

Such  knowledge  as  this  must,  therefore,  be  the 
basis  of  a  large  amount  of  medical  practice  and  my 
recent  work  Therapeutic  Sarcognomy —  not  a  full 
exposition  of  the  science  but  an  exposition  of  its 
application  to  the  healing  art,  was  received  with  great 
cordiality  by  enlightened  physicians  and  the  whole 
edition  sold  out  in  four  months.  I  present  herewith  a 
miniature  copy  of  the  chart  of  Sarcognomy  which  is 
now  in  use  by  many  physicians  as  a  guide  in  practice. 

An  important  philosophic  doctrine  which  Sarcog- 
nomy has  illustrated  is  the.  proposition  which  over- 
turns the  doctrines  of  the  medical  profession  taught  in 
all  colleges  and  text  books  that  life  is  but  the  aggre- 
gation of  properties  in  the  tissues  as  though  man  were 
but  a  chemical  compound  and  aggregation  of  organ- 
ized substance.  Therapeutic  Sarcognomy  demon- 
strates that  life  is  not  in  the  tissues  but  is  entirely  and 
absolutely  an  influx  coming  through  the  nervous  sys- 
tem aided  by  the  lungs  form  a  source  of  life  which  is 
not  material  and  thus  leading  us  from  matter  which 
has  been  vainly  supposed  to  possess  the  potency  of  all 
things  in  itself  to  the  true  source  of  all  power  which 
is  invisible  and  spiritual. 

Sarcognomy  has  many  interesting  applications 
beside  those  of  the  healing  art.  It  interprets  the 
the  human  form  to  the  sculptor  and  painter,  and  lies 


Psychomclry  and  Anthropology.  31 

at  the  foundation  of  the  laws  of  expression.  It  gives 
to  the  hygienist  and  the  educator  the  laws  of  devel- 
opment and  principles  of  culture  for  th^  human  body 
to  attain  the  highest  physical  perfection  in  harmony 
with  the  development  of  the  virtues. 

In  short  the  science  of  Anthropology  by  its  exposi- 
tions of  Cerebral  Psychology,  Physiology  and  Sar- 
cognomy becomes  the  monitor  and  guide  for  individ- 
uals and  nations  in  the  culture  of  all  that  is  desirable" 
and  ennobling.  The  following  sketch  from  the  upper 
portion  of  the  chart  of  Sarcognomy  will  give  the 
reader  some  idea  of  its  character. 

The  fundamental  princi- 
ple of  Sarcognomy  is  that 
every  facultv  of  the  soul  is 
associated  with  a  special 
portion  of  the  brain,  and 
that  every  organ  of  the 
brain  is  in  intimate  sym- 
pathy with  a  correspond- 
ing portion  of  the  body, 
through  which  sympathies 
the  body  and  soul  are 
brought  into  close  con- 
nexion. The  brain  is  the  common  centre,  its  action 
downward,  in  the  body  being  physiological,  and  its 
action  upward  or  distinct  from  the  body  being  psychic. 

The  knowledge  of  these  localities  enables  the  phy- 
sician to  understand  the  philosophy  of  disease,  and  to 
operate  upon  the  mind  through  the  body  or  upon  the 
body  through  the  mind,  thus  giving  an  exact  science 
to  guide  electric  and  magnetic  practice. 


CHAPTEK    XI. 

FUTURE    LIFE    AND    LEADERS    IN    RELIGION. 

Franklin  and  Hemans  —  The  gloomy  view  of  agnosticism — The  gloomy 
influence  of  college  and  cloister — The  honest  inquirers  driven  into 
agnosticism — Fsychometry  restores  their  mastery  of  the  truth  and 
buries  obstructive  rubbish  — Education  has  paraiyzed  reason  — P.sy- 
chometry  resisted,  other  discoveries  withheld — Psychometry  the 
demonstration  of  immortality  —  Compared  to  a  telescope  —  Even 
agnostics  may  recognize  the  departed  —  They  are  not  like  hidden 
stars,  because  they  have  been  seen  —  Death  like  a  passage  over  a  bay 
with  a  visible  shore  —  Psychometric  communication  with  the  dead 
and  medical  advice  —  Post  mortem  wisdom  —  Nearness  of  the  departed 
—  Different  impressions  from  the  living  and  dead  — Impressions  from 
the  letter  of  Gen.  Jackson  —  Life  in  the  spirit  world — Discovery  of 
life  and  death  — Discrimination  between  the  living  and  the  dead  — 
Experimental  test  with  eleven  names  —  Psychometric  description  of 
leaders  in  religion  —  Swedenborg  —  Buddha—  Keshub  Chuuder  Sen  — 
Laoutze  — Confucius  — John  Calvin— Michael  Servetus — Martin  Luther 
Albigenses— Waldenses  —  Henri  Arnaud,  the  Christian  Hero. 

"  Existence  here  on  earth  is  hardly  to  be  called 
life.  "Tis  rather  an  embryo  state  —  a  preparation  for 
living;  a  man  is  not  completely  born  until  he  is 
dead.  Why,  then,  should  we  grieve  that  a  new 
child  is  born  among  the  immortals. "  (Dr.  Benjamin 
Franklin  to  Miss  EC  Hubbard,  February  12,  1756.) 

"  O,  thou  rich  world  unseen! 
That  curtained  realm  of  spirits !    Thus  my  cry 
Hath  troubled  air  and  silence;  dost  thou  lie 
Spread  all  around,  yet  by  some  filmy  screen 
Shut  from  us  ever? 
32 


Future  Life.  33 

"  Cold,  weak  and  cold 

Is  earth's  vain  language,  piercing  not  one  fold 
Of  our  deep  being !    Oh,  for  gifts  more  high ! 
Foi  a  seer's  glance  to  rend  mortality ! "  —  [Mrs.  Hemans. 


Psychometry  brings  the  "  seer's  glance"  for  which 
so  many  millions  have  longed  in  vain,  not  because 
God  hath  withholden  this  blessing,  but  because 
human  ignorance  has  neglected  it,  human  bigotry 
has  crushed  it  out  of  sight,  human  arrogance  and 
vanity  have  despised  it,  and  human  animality  has 
sunk  below  the  level  of  refined  intelligence,  until  vast 
multitudes  live  and  die  in  darkness,  uncheered  and 
unsustained  by  the  knowledge  of  the  Infinite  Benevo- 
lence, and  their  own  vast  estate  in  realms  of  wealth, 
to  which  earth  has  no  parallel.  Amaurotic  in  soul- 
vision,  they  are  honestly  deluded  by  the  "  feeble 
sense  "  which  cannot  see  beyond  life's  dim  horizon 
of  materiality,  and  think  like  the  old  Spanish  poet : 


Our  lives  like  hasting  streams  must  be, 
That  into  one  eugulphing  sea 
Are  doomed  to  fall  — 

The  sea  of  death  whose  waves  roll  on 
O'er  king  and  kingdom,  crown  and  throne, 
And  swallow  all. 

Alike  the  river's  lordly  tide, 
Alike  the  humble  rivulets  glide, 
To  that  sad  wave. 

Death  levels  poverty  and  pride, 
And  rich  and  poor  sleep  side  by  side 
"Within  the  grave. 

I,   too,   have   known  something   of  this    ignorance 
and  delusion  before  I  had  maturely  investigated  the 


34  Future  Life. 

problem  of  life,  and  in  the  optimism  of  youth  was 
almost  willing  to  surrender  to  an  eternal  sleep,  br.t 
ah,  how  gloomy  is  the  thought  to  those  in  whom  hope 
is  dead,  and  who  see  in  this  life  only  the  "  martyr- 
dom of  man "  the  great  army  of  the  defeated  and 
unsuccessful  for  whom  there  is  neither  pleasure, 
nor  bodily  comfort,  nor  love,  nor  friendship,  nor 
hope.  For  them  I  speak,  to  them  I  appeal,  with  the 
scientific  assurance  that  death  does  not  end  all. 

Could  trumpet-tongued  eloquence  penetrate  the 
cold  halls  of  collegiate  pedantry  and  the  dim  clois- 
ters of  the  church,  to  teach  the  human  mind  its 
innate  power  and  dignity,  and  sever  with  lightning 
flash  the  bonds  that  bind  men  to  the  past,  what  a  mar- 
velous and  sudden  transformation  society  would  show. 
But  it  cannot  be.  Daylight  dawns  too  slowly  for 
impatient  watchers.  The  mass  of  mankind  like  half- 
grown  youth  have  depended  on  instruction  from  their 
seniors  or  leaders,  and  adhered  to  traditions  which 
not  only  had  the  disadvantage  of  coming  from  an 
earlier  and  consequently  more  ignorant  period,  but 
were  essentially  changed  by  priestcraft  and  statecraft. 
The  ambitious  speculation  of  the  ancients,  far  outrun- 
ning their  knowledge,  filled  the  world  with  visionary 
systems  of  mythology,  theology  and  metempsychosis 
which  were  sufficiently  delusive  when  not  corrupted 
by  church  and  state  influence. 

The  greatest  energy  exerted  by  inquiring  minds  was 
shown  in  the  study  of  ancient  writings  and  monu- 
ments—  or  in  agnostic  contention  against  the  popular 
faith  at  the  risk  of  liberty  and  life.  The  religious 
impulse  in  enlightened  minds  as  well  as  the  ani- 


Future  Life.  35 

mal  impulse  of  the  coarser  class  has  ever  rebelled 
against  the  corrupt  religion  of  churches,  yet  in  aban- 
doning traditional  religion  it  could  but  wander  in 
darkness  and  uncertainty.  Only  for  those  gifted  with 
intuition  could  there  be  any  clear  conviction  of  the 
future  life,  after  renouncing  the  faith  of  their  fore- 
fathers. The  incredible  tales  of  the  supernatural 
circulated  by  the  superstitious  populace  and  the  priest- 
hood made  all  records  of  the  supernal  or  spiritual 
seem  incredible,  and  when  all  facts  of  that  class  were 
rejected  as  imposture,  the  honest  inquirer  was  com- 
pelled to  settle  down  into  an  uncompromising  material- 
ism, which  explained  all  the  remaining  phenomena, 
after  the  rejection  of  spiritual  facts  as  unsustained  by 
the  character  of  the  testimony. 

Psychometry  places  the  intelligent  inquirer  in  a 
different  position.  Guided  by  this  science,  he  no 
longer  needs  the  aid  of  old  traditions  and  monu- 
ments, since  Psychometry  enables  us  to  go  to  the  ori- 
gins of  religions  and  determines  the  characters  and 
motives  of  their  founders.  The  mind  endowed  with 
psychometric  intuition  becomes  independent  of  his- 
tory, of  exegesis  and  criticism.  Nor  does  it  need  the 
evidences  afforded  by  modern  spiritualism  to  settle 
the  question  of  human  immortality  since  it  has  direct 
evidence  and  personal  perception. 

When  we  think  of  the  vast  amount  of  ecclesiastic 
and  theological  rubbish  which  Psychometry  enables  us 
to  consign  to  oblivion  —  the  aggregation  of  nineteen 
centuries  of  ignorance  for  the  European  race,  filling 
large  libraries  we  realize  what  a  burdensome,  stifling 
load  is  taken  off  the  back  of  struggling  humanity. 


36  future  Life. 

It  is  these  senseless  dogmas  which  have  been  most 
effectual  in  paralyzing  reason  and  perpetuating  stolid- 
ity, for  philosophy  is  a  plant  of  tender  growth,  which 
needs  all  fostering  influences,  and  when  its  first  ger- 
mination is  crushed  as  it  has  ever  been  in  our  systems 
of  education, —  when  the  frank  inquiries  of  childhood 
are  frowned  upon  or  laughed  at,  and  the  adolescent 
mind,  deprived  of  its  freedom,  is  forced  into  the  tread- 
mill of  dogmatic  teaching,  less  monotonous  and  stu- 
pid than  that  of  China,  but  sufficiently  mechanical 
and  memorital  to  repress  all  originality  and  compel 
the  reception  of  self-evident  and  malignant  absurdi- 
ties (such  as  the  infinite  torture  of  nearly  all  mankind) 
it  is  but  a  natural  consequence  that  the  aggregate 
intelligence  of  humanity  should  become  incapable  of 
dealing  with  the  problems  of  human  destiny  and 
incapable  of  recognizing  the  scientific  demonstration 
of  the  higher  class  of  psychic  phenomena.  Every 
demonstration  of  psychometric  or  of  spiritual  phenom- 
ena has  to  overcome  a  stubborn  resistance  in  the 
majority  of  the  spectators,  until  they  are  convinced 
by  their  senses  (not  their  reason)  and  to  overcome 
the  still  more  stolid  resistance  of  those  who  avoid  all 
investigation.  Hence  it  is  that  Psychometry  has  not 
been  welcomed  and  other  equally  important  truths 
must  be  withheld  to  a  later  period  of  human  progress. 

The  truth  of  immortality  is  fully  established  by 
Psychometry,  and  no  other  evidence  is  necessary  to  a 
logical  mind.  We  begin  by  establishing  the  credibility 
and  power  of  Psychometry  in  reference  to  medicines 
held  in  the  hand.  We  soon  find  that  its  reports  are 
ample  and  accurate.  We  test  it  in  reference  to  char- 


Ptiture  Life*  37 

acter  and  disease  when  the  subject  is  present  and  we 
know  his  condition.  We  find  it  accurate,  with  a  pen- 
etrating power  and  truthfulness  not  approached  either 
by  medical  diagnosis  or  by  craniology,  which  are 
about  equally  reliable  in  their  respective  spheres. 

We  then  test  it  upon  the  absent  whose  writing  we 
may  have,  and  find  the  report  to  be  as  accurate  as  if 
the  individual  were  present,  with  this  difference,  that 
in  certain  cases  the  psychometer  reviewing  the  whole 
life,  discovers  the  change  called  death,  and  yet  speaks 
of  the  post  mortem  life  as  freely  and  positively  as  of 
the  ante  mortem.  Surely  if  he  is  competent  to  speak 
truthfully  of  the  personal  appearance  and  the  life  of 
one  whom  we  know,"  but  whom  he  knows  only  by 
impressions  received  from  a  piece  of  writing  —  if  his 
descriptions  have  that  accuracy  in  a  multitude  of 
details  which  we  know  by  mathematical  reasoning  it 
is  utterly  impossible  could  occur  by  chance  —  if  he 
has  traced  the  life  up  to  death  and  discovered  that 
change  as  an  incident  of  continued  life,  why  is  not 
the  latter  part  of  his  statements  in  which  he  discovers 
neither  sleep  nor  any  suspension  of  mental  activity 
but  a  brighter  and  happier  mode  of  life  and  most  nat- 
ural reflections  upon  his  past  career,  as  credible  as 
any  other  portion  of  his  statement. 

If  a  telescope  be  trustworthy  and  accurate  in  all  its 
revelations  of  terrestrial  objects  that  we  know,  is  its 
accuracy  and  reliability  at  all  impaired  by  being 
directed  to  the  stars  which  are  beyond  our  reach  and 
beyond  vision  by  the  naked  eye,  concerning  which 
the  telescope  alone  gives  us  information?  Would  not 
the  scientist  be  suspected  of  insanity  who  would 


38  Future  Life. 

advocate  such  an  opinion?  Equally  insane  would  it 
be  to  suppose  that  a  psychometric  faculty  upon  which 
we  have  found  it  safe  to  rely  in  reference  to  all  the 
phases  of  human  life  and  in  reference  to  historic 
affairs  shrouded  in  the  obscurity  of  many  centuries, 
would  suddenly  fail  and  lose  its  reliability  when  it 
'speaks  of  the  hidden  life  of  the  departed,  which  is 
no  more  hidden  from  mortal  eye  than  the  secret  pur- 
poses and  intentions  which  are  often  psychometrically 
revealed. 

This  perception  of  the  departed  and  their  spirit 
life  is  not  due  to  any  prior  theory"  upon  the  subject 
but  arises  clearly  in  the  minds  of  those  who  wrere 
previously  agnostic.  The  lady  upon  whom  the  New 
York  committee  experimented  (Bryant  their  chair- 
man) was  distinguished  as  an  agnostic  and  had 
harangued  many  meetings  against  Christianity  when 
Re  D.  Owren  and  Frances  Wright  were  conducting 
their  agnostic  agitation  in  New  York.  But  she  was 
profoundly  impressed  and  astonished  when  she  first 
psychometrically  perceived  the  existence  of  the 
deceased  which  she  said  she  had  been  accustomed 
to  believe  entirely  impossible. 

The  report  upon  the  departed  is  not  properly  com- 
parable to  a  report  upon  hidden  stars,  but  rather  to 
telescopic  observations  on  those  that  we  see,  for  the 
departed  are  not  entirely  hidden  from  mortal  view. 
Thousands  in  all  countries  have  seen  them  and  even 
heard  them,  and  thus  corroborate  by  countless  wit- 
nesses the  testimony  of  Psychometry  to  their  exis- 
tence and  mode  of  life. 

It  would  be  a  parallel  case  when  of  the  population 


Future  Life.  39 

upon  an  island  a  number  are  impelled  to  swim  a  wide 
sound  to  the  opposite  mainland.  The  spectators  see 
them  going  until  they  are  lost  to  view,  and  may  infer 
that  they  are  drowned  until  those  of  more  acute 
vision  catch  a  glimpse  of  their  forms  and  the  lovely 
scenery  in  which  they  dwell  on  the  far  shore.  That 
testimony  the  skeptical  reject,  because  they,  too,  can- 
not see  the  distant  shore,  but  when  the  telescope  is 
brought  which  has  been  tested  for  its  accuracy,  and 
tells  the  whole  story,  like  a  camera,  doubt  is  no 
longer  rational  —  the  photograph  must  be  recognized 
The  emigrants  are  not  only  seen  but  signal  back 
messages  in  accordance  with  their  characters  and 
through  Psychometry  we  may  communicate  with 
them  so  as  to  profit  by  their  knowledge  and  advice. 
We  may  counsel  with  departed  physicians  as  to  the 
treatment  of  disease,  and  however  cramped  or  erro- 
neous their  views  in  earth  life,  their  post  mortem 
suggestions  never  mislead.  Such  at  least  has  been 
my  experience.  /  have  never  received  a  medical 
suggestion  from  departed  -physicians  which  was  not 
truthful,  wise  and  successful  in  its  application.  We 
may  counsel  with  statesmen  as  to  public  policy  and 
its  results  and  find  if  we  have  a  competent  channel 
and  genuine  communication  they  have  a  higher  wis- 
dom than  they  ever  displayed  in  earth  life  and  a 
greater  capacity  for  foreseeing  the  results  of  every 
measure.  We  may  counsel  with  eminent  teachers  of 
religion  and  we  find  that  those  who  were  in  the  love 
of  good  have  dropped  all  their  sectarian  follies  and 
mutual  antagonisms  and  advanced  into  the  sphere  of 
love  and  wisdom,  while  the  bigots  are  losing  their 
bigotry  and  becoming  philosophic. 


40  Future  Life. 

No  one  can  give  his  attention  to  the  higher  phe- 
nomena of  Psychometry  without  realizing  that  the 
world  of  disembodied  mind  is  as  positive  a  world  of 
life  as  that  which  is  immersed  in  matter,  and  that 
they  who  are  "  beyond  the  river,"  called  death,  are 
no  farther  removed  then  they  who  have  been  trans- 
ferred across  the  Atlantic  ocean.  The  incident  which 
first  most  forcibly  illustrated  the  effect  of  death  on 
the  psychometric  perception  was  an  experiment  on 
the  autograph  of  Gen.  Jackson,  a  political  letter  of 
very  forcible  expression,  addressed  in  1826  to  my 
father-in-law,  Judge  Rowan.  The  powerful  and 
thrilling  effect  which  this  letter  produced  upon  the 
Rev.  Benj.  Kent,  at  Boston,  in  1843,  has  already 
been  stated.  In  the  summer  of  1846,  being  in  Mis- 
sissippi, I  made  an  experiment  with  the  same  letter 
upon  W.  B.  S.,  (now  a  prominent  and  wealthy  busi- 
ness man  in  New  York),  then  a  young  teacher,  and 
found  the  effect  altogether  of  a  calm  and  meditative 
character,  to  which,  indeed,  his  own  temperament 
inclined  him.  He  approached  the  character  from  the 
spiritual  side. 

It  will  frequently  be  the  case  with  persons  of  a 
calm  temperament  and  feeble  vitality  that  autographs 
of  the  deceased  will  produce  so  sedative  an  effect  as 
to  fail  to  rouse  the  full  perception  of  the  character, 
and  even  to  produce  a  depressing  influence.  As  Mrs. 
R.  expressed  it,  they  produce  a  coldness  or  inaction 
at  the  heart. 

One  psychometer  will  take  a  letter  of  great  energy, 
enter  into  the  spirit  of  the  writer  as  he  was  in  writing, 
and  after  a  time  arrive  at  the  perception  of  his  death 


Future  Life.  41 

and  post  mortem  condition.  Another  more  spiritu- 
ally constituted  will  sympathize  at  once  with  the  post 
mortem  condition,  while  one  more  fully  developed 
will  grasp  the  entire  condition  and  describe  with 
equal  ease  the  ante  mortem  and  post  mortem  condi- 
tions. 

Men  of  energetic,  active  temperaments  are  more 
apt  to  grasp  the  living  conditions  than  the  post  mor- 
tem, as  in  the  psychometric  descriptions  of  this  letter 
by  Gen.  Quitman,  of  Mississippi,  and  Bishop  Otey, 
of  Tennessee.  The  description  given  by  Gen.  Qjiit- 
man,  in  1846,  was  as  follows : 

"  He  is  brave,  firm,  decided,  intellectual.  It  gives 
an  impression  of  gravity,  of  a  high,  elevated  purpose 
and  determination  to  carry  out  and  execute.  There 
is  strength,  energy  and  great  gravity,  and  determina- 
tion of  purpose." 

(What  of  his  pursuits  and  sphere  of  life?)  "  Some 
lofty  pursuits  —  it  would  call  into  action  energy  — 
nothing  of  a  scientific  character  —  the  feeling  is 
rather  that  of  firmness  and  determination." 

(What  were  his  pursuits  ?)  ' '  Several  —  especially 
military  —  there  is  planning  of  any  description  and  a 
settled  purpose  —  also  political  aims  —  he  would  soar 
high. 

(What  is  there  in  this  letter?)  "  Some  determined 
purpose  —  specifying  manner  and  plan  of  execution 
—  determination  —  gravity  —  fearlessness  —  it  might 
be  warlike  —  it  might  be  a  political  measure. 

(What  of  the  moral  character?)  "Very  good, 
brave,  lofty,  noble,  perfectly  honest  —  too  generous 
to  be  rich  —  patriotic  and  ambitious  —  ambitious  for 


42  Future  Life. 

wealth,  power  and  fame,  but  more  for  reputation  than 
wealth. 

(What  is  he  fit  for?)     "  For  any  great  purpose  — 
particularly  for  the  command  of  armies  —  he  has  been 
tried." 

Bishop  OTEY,  of  Tennessee,  had  remarkably  active 
psychometric  faculties,  and  in  a  few  seconds  after  this 
letter  was  placed  on  his  forehead  asserted  that  the 
writer  was  one  of  the  class  of  Alexander  and  Napo- 
leon. He  manifested  the  usual  astonishment  of  a 
novice  when  he  learned  that  it  was  the  letter  of  Gen. 
Jackson. 

A  high  psychometric  power  like  that  ol  Mrs.  B. 
grasps  the  whole  character  at  once  with  so  thorough 
an  understanding  as  to  be  able  to  portray  it  concisely 
in  comprehensive  language,  recognizing  at  once  the 
existing  as  well  as  the  post  mortem  condition  of  the 
departed.  The  following  is  her  impression  of  GEN- 
ERAL ANDREW  JACKSON. 

"  This  is  an  illuminated  mind  —  it  is  a  spirit.  This 
brain  had  jets  of  fire  and  far  reaching  thought.  He 
was  voluble  and  had  no  trouble  in  expression.  He 
had  a  great  soul.  He  spoke  out  fearless  and  earnest 
and  still  had  a  human  side — the  sentiment  of  love. 
He  loved  (like  every  thing  else)  powerfully,  with  his 
whole  soul. 

"  He  was  called  before  the  public — his. business 
was  to  guide  and  direct  —  he  had  quick  far-seeing  per- 
ception. He  was  a  politician,  who  occupied  high 
positions —  as  high  as  could  be  given. 

"  He  would  rule  his  friends  and  many  times  against 
their  judgment.  He  had  the  power  of  controlling 
them.  Even  his  opponents  could  not  stand  against 
his  power ;  he  had  great  power  of  persuasion  and 


Future  Life.  43 

force  to  carry  his  points.  He  could  combat  with 
opponents,  so  they  would  be  forced  to  yield. 

k '  If  called  on  to  manage  the  country  in  the  office 
of  president,  he  would  leave  the  office  with  pride  and 
satisfaction  —  with  fewer  faults  than  most  men. 

"  In  some  respects  he  was  like  Washington,  in  his 
candor,  his  strong  judgment  and  his  devotion  to  duty 
—  though  he  was  not  entirely  in  the  same  mould  ;  his 
brain  was  differently  constructed.  I  do  not  think  his 
military  ability  equal  to  Washington's,  for  he  was 
not  so  cautious  —  was  much  more  reckless  and 
impulsive." 

"  His  course  was  not  as  commendable  as  Washing- 
ton's. He  was  firm,  bra\e  and  unflinching  in  carry- 
ing a  point ;  he  would  never  admit  that  he  had  made 
a  mistake.  He  was  not  as  just  and  conciliatory  to 
opponents  as  Washington —  had  not  as  much  benevo- 
lence and  spirituality.' 

"People  admired  his  boldness  —  even  his  oppo- 
nents admired  it.  He  is  often  quoted.  His  character 
will  not  die  out,  but  lives  in  the  minds  of  the  people, 
He  was  a  southern  man  of  Democratic  feelings. 

"  Tn  spirit  he  lias  advanced  rapidly.  In  ladies 
society  his  language  was  fluent  and  very  appropriate, 
gnllant  and  fascinating.  In  rough  society  he  would 
be  apt  to  sweai  vigorously." 

In  post  mortem  descriptions  I  generally  enquire  into 
the  present  status  ol  the  spirit  and  his  present  senti- 
ments and  objects  of  interest :  the  answers  to  which 
have  been  interesting  and  satisfactory.  Some  spirits 
1  find  actively  engaged  in  philanthropic  work  on 
earth,  impressing  the  minds  of  the  benevolent  and 
spiritual  or  watching  over  their  surviving  friends  and 
relations-  Others  are  enjoying  celestial  associations, 
or  looking  deeply  into  a  philosophy  and  knowledge  of 
the  Universe  which  were  not  accessible  on  earth. 


44  Future  Life* 

The  great  founders  of  religion  and  philanthropy  are 
living  in  accordance  with  their  exalted  character,  the 
knowledge  of  which  has  been  to  me  a  profound 
pleasure,  as  it  relieves  the  dreariness  of  the  moral  land- 
scapes on  earth,  to  look  aloft  and  find  something  we 
can  admire,  revere  and  love. 

The  revelations  of  pneumatology  and  religion 
which  come  through  Psychometry  will  be  given  in  a 
second  volume. 

To  perfect  the  argument  for  immortality  derived 
from  Psychometry  it  is  desirable  to  verify  as  thor- 
oughly as  possible  the  power  of  Psychometry  to  dis- 
cover whether  the  writer  is  living  in  the  body  or  not. 
To  make  a  satisfactory  test  of  this  matter  which  had 
indeed  been  tested  a  hundred  times  before,  I  wrote 
down  eleven  names  of  living  and  dead  persons,  and 
placed  them  successively  in  the  hands  of  Mrs.  B. 
without  any  intimation  whatever  as  to  their  personal- 
ity. Within  about  fifteen  minutes  she  gave  her  opin- 
ion of  all,  as  to  life,  with  some  remarks  on  their 
character,  without  a  single  error  or  doubt. 

In  such  experiments  there  are  two  sources  of  diffi- 
culty. The  recently  dead,  who  passed  from  a  life  of 
restless  energy  and  activity  carry  with  them  so  much 
of  that  activity  as  to  make  it  difficult  to  distinguish 
them  from  the  living.  This  was  especially  the  case 
with  Gen.  Gordon.  On  the  other  hand  persons  of  a 
very  gentle  spiritual  temperament  have  so  much  of  the 
calmness  of  spirit-life  as  to  make  it  sometimes  doubt- 
ful if  they  are  living.  But  when  vigorous  persons  in 
active  life  are  compared  with  those  who  have  long 
passed  away  the  discrimination  is  not  difficult. 


Future  Life.  45 

The  power  of  determining  in  reference  to  any  indi- 
vidual whether  he  is  living  or  dead,  became  a  matter 
of  special  interest  at  the  time  when  contradictory 
reports  were  received  about  the  death  of  Gen.  Gor- 
don. To  test  the  power  of  Mrs.  B.  I  wrote  upon 
small  slips  of  paper  the  names  of  living  and  dead 
persons,  viz.  :  Qjieen  Elizabeth,  Geo.  Fox,  Gen. 
Garfield,  Robert  Ingersoll,  Arabi  Pasha,  El  Mahdi, 
Gen.  Gordon,  Gladstone,  Swedenborg,  Joseph  Rodes 
Buchanan,  Joan  of  Arc,  and  brought  them  to  her 
sitting  room  proposing  to  place  a  few  names  in  her 
hand  and  ask  her  if  the  parties  were  living  or  noto 
She  was  very  reluctant  and  doubtful  of  her  ability, 
of  which,  however,  I  had  very  little  doubt*  Her 
expressions  were  as  follows,  holding  in  her  hands  : 

£>ucen  Elizabeth. — £'  I  think  it  is  a  spirit;  I  think 
a  woman  of  a  good  deal  of  character." 

Geo.  Fox. — "  I  believe  this  is  a  spirit  —  a  peculiar 
character  —  individualized."  She  also  spoke  of  him 
as  religious,  and  having  many  friends. 

Gen.  Garficld. — ''This  comes  like  a  man  —  as 
much  alive  as  dead  —  a  wide  awake  man  —  seems 
alive  whether  in  or  out  of  the  body.  If  he  has  passed 
over  it  is  not  long.  I  conclude  he  is  dead,  but  not 
long." 

Robert  Ingersoll. — "  First  I  thought  he  was  dead, 
then  I  saw  so  much  brightness  around  him  I  think  he 
is  alive.  He  has  too  much  brain  force  and  activity 
for  me.  I  think  he  is  alive."  She  felt  the  influence 
on  her  head  as  she  did  when  she  once  described  his 
character. 

Arabi  Pasha. — "  This  is  a  less  active  brain  —  a 


46  Future  Life. 

good    deal    of    physical    force  —  hard   to   kill  —  he's 
alive." 

El  Mahdi. —  "  It  seems  this  is  a  man.     He's  alive 

—  a  man  of  intellectual  capacity.     He  spreads  him- 
self over  a  good  deal  of  territory  —  has  a  wide  range, 
but  with  good  solid  sense." 

Gen.  Gordon.  —  "  How  different  they  all  feel.  It 
seems  to  me  the  man  is  dead  —  he  has  crossed  a 
bridge.  His  ruling  desire  was  for  power  —  for 
aggrandizment  —  an  ambitious  character  of  high 
aims.  His  purposes  were  good." 

Gladstone. —  "There's  such  a  paleness  about  this 
man.  I  feel  the  feebleness,  but  it  is  a  man.  If  he  is 
not  dead  he  is  on  the  brink  from  great  feebleness. 
But  he  is  alive.  He  has  the  feebleness  of  age  —  of 
wasted  vital  force.  He  is  a  man  of  fine  capacities, 
fine  managing  abilities  —  understands  finance  and 
government  affairs  —  is  diplomatic." 

Sivedenborg.  —  "  There  is  more  brightness  here  — 
a  permeating  influence  —  magnetic.  I  judge  this 
man  is  in  the  other  world.  I  think  it  is  a  man.  He 
brings  a  powerful  spirit  influence — very  powerful. 
He  had  great  individuality  of  character.  There  was 
no  one  like  him." 

Joseph  Rodcs  Buchanan.  —  She  laughs  immod- 
erately and  seems  to  have  a  mischievous,  sportive 
feeling.  "  The  man's  alive  and  well.  What  makes 
me  laugh  so?"  (In  what  part  of  the  world  is  he?) 
"  Very  near  —  here.  It's  just  like  you." 

Joan  of  Arc.  —  "I  don't  think  this  person  is  living 

—  dead  a  long    time.     When   this   person  died,   the 
work  died  too.     But  now  I  see  the  blossoms  coming 


Future  Life.  47 

up.  This  life  was  not  in  vain.  This  person  lives  in 
the  hearts  of  many.  I  see  a  woman  now.  I  might 
think  it  a  man  from  the  strength  of  character,  but  it 
is  a  woman  dressed  in  a  plain  garb  —  no  ornament  — 
a  woman  of  medium  height." 

The  whole  experiment  occupied  not  more  than 
fifteen  or  twenty  minutes. 

Psychometry  is  not  confined  to  the  mere  perception 
of  continued  life.  It  follows  that  life  in  supernal 
worlds  as  clearly  as  here  on  earth.  (That  theme, 
however,  would  be  too  much  for  this  introductory 
volume).  It  realizes  the  fruition  of  what  millions 
have  sighed  for  in  vain,  and  what  thousands  have  in 
all  ages  enjoyed  —  what  Mrs.  Hemans  described 
from  her  own  experience. 

"  He  died  —  Jie  died 

On  whom  my  lone  devotedness  was  cast ! 
I  might  not  keep  one  vigil  by  his  side, 
J,  whose  wrung  heart  watched  with  him  to  the  last! 

"  Know'st  thou  what  I  sought  ? 
For  what  high  boon  my  struggling  spirit  wrought  ? 
Communion  with  the  dead !    I  sent  a  cry 
Through  the  veiled  empires  of  Eternity  — 
A  voice  to  cleave  them ! 

"  I  sat  beneath  that  planet  —  I  had  wept 
My  love  to  stillness,  every  night-wind  slept; 
A  hush  was  on  the  hills;  the  very  streams 
"Went  by  like  clouds,  or  noiseless  founts  in  dreams, 
And  the  dark  tree  o'er  shadowing  me  in  that  hour, 
Stood  motionless,  even  as  the  gray  church  tower, 
Whereon  I  gazed,  unconsciously.    There  came 
A  low  sound  like  the  tremor  of  a  flame, 
Or  like  the  light,  quick  shiver  of  a  wing, 
Flitting  through  twilight  woods  across  the  air; 
And  I  looked  up.    Before  me  there 
He,  the  departed,  stood!    Aye,  face  to  face, 
So  near  and  yet  how  far.     He  spoke! 
How  shall  i  tell  thee  of  the  startling  thrill 


48  Leaders  in  Religion* 

In  that  low  voice,  whose  breezy  tones  would  fill 

My  bosom's  infinite  ?    O,  friend,  1  woke 

Thus  —  first  to  heavenly  life. 

I  sought  that  lighted  eye  — 

From  its  intense  and  searching  purity 

I  drank  in  soul !    I  questioned  of  the  dead  — 

Of  the  hushed,  starry  shores  their  footsteps  tread, 

And  I  was  answered.    Full  and  high 

"Was  that  communion  with  eternity ; 

Too  rich  for  aught  so  fleeting  !    Like  a  knell 

Swept  o'er  my  sense  its  closing  words  :  "  Farewell 

On  earth  we  meet  no  more ! "  —  and  all  was  gone* 

SWEDENBORG. 

The  following  psychometric  description  of  Sweden- 
borg  strikes  me  as  very  correct.  I  have  never  read 
any  of  his  works,  and  have  avoided  doing  so,  not 
from  any  aversion  or  indifference,  but  because  when  I 
first  presented  the  doctrines  of  Anthropology  develop- 
ing the  faculties  of  the  soul,  brain  and  body,  and  their 
laws  of  connexion,  correspondence  and  inter-action, 
the  devotees  of  Swedenborg  would  often  say  that  my 
doctrines  were  similar  to  his.  As  these  doctrines  had 
been  derived  entirely  from  experimental  investigation, 
uninfluenced  by  the  theories  of  my  predecessors, 
excepting  only  the  discoveries  of  Gall,  which  I  impar- 
tially investigated  to  compare  with  cranial  devel- 
opments, pathology  and  experiments,  I  wished  to 
preserve  my  independence  and  isolation  as  a  witness 
of  the  truth,  independent  of  any  influence  from  previ- 
ous suggestions.  Hence  I  have  postponed  reading 
Swedenborg's  writings  to  the  completion  of  my  own 
researches  hereafter,  but  no  one  who  mingles  in  soci- 
ety or  peruses  current  literature  can  avoid  learning  the 
essentials  of  Swedenborg's  doctrines  — •  the  system  of 


Leaders  in  Religion.  49 

thought  introduced  by  him,  in  which  he  assumed  an 
attitude  of  authority  and  imposed  his  theological  spec- 
ulations on  his  followers  as  a  finality  —  discouraging 
that  further  research,  which  has  given  us  so  much 
more  simple,  accurate  and  satisfactory  views.  His 
influence  has  tended  to  discourage  free  investigation 
and  has  done  more  to  develop  a  refined  scholarly 
intellectuality  among  his  followers  than  to  exalt  or 
intensify  the  religious  sentiments. 

SWEDENBORG. 

"  This  is  not  very  far  back —  not  more  than  seventy 
years  —  a  character  that  made  an  impression  on  the 
minds  of  the  people.  There  were  some  who  would 
adhere  to  him,  to  any  length,  and  others  who  would 
not. 

"  He  had  a  great  amount  of  positiveness  in  his 
character  —  too  much  —  by  which  he  lost  sight  of  his 
best  impressions.  I  feel  that  very  sensibly  —  he  was 
so  strong  willed.  He  had  a  great  deal  of  materiality 
about  him,  yet  he  taught  spiritual  things.  He 
abounded  in  opinions  or  doctrines  and  was  quite  orig- 
inal—  an  originator  of  new  thoughts. 

"  He  was  calculated  to  dispel  the  ideas  of  modern 
theology  —  was  not  a  believer  in  the  doctrines  taught 
in  the  churches.  He  was  somewhat  a  martyr  to  his 
opinions — not  exactly  a  martyr  —  but  he  had  great 
opposition  from  priests  and  creedists  —  but  he  rather 
courted  opposition  than  otherwise.  If  he  had  had 
more  of  the  spirit  of  Christ  he  would  have  felt  the 
oppositton  more  sensitively. 

"  He  was  an  author  who  published  works.  His 
books  met  with  considerable  acceptance  but  called 
down  much  criticism.  Were  any  of  his  works  sup- 
pressed —  I  think  some  were  not  published.  He  was 


50  Leaders  in  Religion. 

very  radical  —  I  do  not  think  he  had  much  religious 
fervor. 

"  He  was  plain  and  comprehensive  in  his  writings 
—  more  scientific  and  philosophic  than  religious.  I 
do  not  feel  as  much  warmth  as  a  religious  teacher 
requires.  There  is  a  cool,  calculating  spirit —  a  good 
deal  of  the  mathematical  in  his  character. 

"  I  think  he  believed  in  inspiration  but  not  to  so 

freat  an  extent  as  we  think  —  only  to  a  few  —  himself 
eing  inspired.  He  claimed  to  be  an  ambassador  sent 
for  the  purposes  to  which  he  devoted  his  life.  He 
felt  a  special  divine  favor  bestowed  on  him.  I  think 
he  claimed  more  for  himself  than  was  true.  He  was 
guided  by  ancient  savans  but  he  thought  a  great  deal 
and  followed  his  own  speculations,  mathematical  and 
physical.  He  had  his  theories  about  life  and  specu- 
lated largely  about  physical  life.  I  presume  he 
adopted  a  system  of  physical  training  for  spiritual 
development.  He  did  not  indulge  in  luxury,  but 
lived  rather  abstemious  and  plain. 

"  His  ideas  were  not  altogether  just  as  to  getting 
inspiration  from  God,  but  he  was  very  easy  in  receiv- 
ing impressions  and  would  lose  sight  of  their  source. 
He  had  a  circle  of  profound  logicians.  He  had  sea- 
sons of  great  mental  exaltation  and  was  clairvoyant 
and  saw  into  the  spirit-world  and  saw  many  things 
correctly  through  the  help  of  his  guides,  but  he  had  not 
any  such  communications  from  the  Most  High  as  he 
claimed.  Spirit  influences  were  so  strong  sometimes 
he  might  seem  strange  or  insane.  He  was  sometimes 
accessible  to  the  lower  order  of  spirits,  but  he  would 
soon  throw  them  off.  ,  He  did  not  understand  the  laws 
of  spirit  intercourse  as  fully  as  we  do  now. 

"  He  had  immense  assumption — assumed  much 
more  than  was  true  —  he  would  suppose  something 
given  to  him  when  it  was  the  impression  of  his  own 
mind.  He  had  psychological  illusions  which  were 
purely  subjective. 


Leaders  in  Religion.  51 

"  His  intellect  was  of  a  higher  and  more  spiritual 
character  than  Arnold  ;*  he  was  more  positive  and 
emphatic  and  had  more  intellectual  spiritual  associa- 
tions. He  would  give  the  sentiments  of  exalted 
spirits. 

(Q^  How  is  he  now  —  how  does  he  regard  his 
former  teachings?)  "  I  think  he  would  alter  his 
teachings  materially.  He  is  not  well  satisfied  with  his 
teachings.  He  knows  his  claims  as  to  Divine  com- 
munication were  not  correct.  He  is  no  nearer  God 
now  than  myriads  of  others. 

SECOND  DESCRIPTION  from  an  engraving. 

"  I  feel  a  great  mental  power.  The  front  of  my 
brain  and  side  of  my  forehead  are  very  active  - 
largely  developed  in  the  perceptives.  I  feel  that  this 
is  a  man,  am  I  correct?  (Yes.)  A  very  original, 
deep  thinker.  I  think  he  was  an  author.  I  think 
this  person's  writing  was  largely  on  theological  sub- 
jects. He  had  a  great  deal  of  method  and  accuracy 
of  judgment.  His  great  power  of  reasoning  always 
carried  him  on  and  made  him  victorious  in  argument 
when  in  controversy  or  propounding  a  subject. 

"  His  work  was  intellectual.  His  subjects  were 
theological,  but  he  was  engaged  in  reconstructing 
governmental  affairs,  but  not  military.  He  was  very 
eloquent  in  his  address.  He  knew  his  own  power 
but  was  not  an  opinionated  man.  He  gave  much  of 
his  attention  to  the  literature  of  others  —  was  a  great 
reader,  but  very  select,  seeming  to  be  governed  by 
some  intuition  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge  —  never 
given  to  anything  trashy  or  superficial  —  a  great 
student. 

"  It  seems  to  me  he  was  of  some  Christian  denomi- 
nation in  early  life,  but  his  own  freedom  of  thought 
carried  him  beyond  any  creed  or  sect ;  he  had  great 
love  of  independence. 

*  Arnold  was  a  spiritual  writer  professing  to  make  very  wonderful 
revelations  from  the  spirit  world. 


52  Leaders  in  Religion. 

"  I  think  he  was  once  obscure,  and  accident  had 
something  to  do  with  bringing  him  forward.  His 
views  were  all  reformatory,  in  government  as  well  as 
religion.  He  had  broad,  philanthropic  views.  I 
think  he  is  not  alive. 

"  He  had  spiritual  impressions  that  assured  him  of 
immortality,  but  did  not  believe  in  spiritual  matters 
as  we  do.  He  conversed  with  spirits,  saw  spirits  and 
had  visions  of  the  other  world.  His  belief  was 
very  peculiar  —  it  seems  mythical  to  me ;  I  cannot 
describe  it. 

"  He  lived  a  religious  life.  His  whole  life  was 
governed  by  justice  toward  others.  His  teachings 
were  something  like  Swedenborgianism,  so  far  as  I 
understand  it. 

"  He  seemed  alone  in  a  portion  of  his  life.  He  had 
a  few  followers  and  was  obliged  to  devise  methods  to 
get  his  doctrines  established  He  lived  to  see  his 
teachings  widespread.  He  had  many  followers  —  he 
has  many  now.  His  teachings  were  obscure  and  men 
ridiculed  them,  but  he  gave  such  marvelous  evidence 
that  he  established  men  in  his  faith  after  a  time.  He 
was  a  great  humanitarian  —  had  wonderful  psycho- 
metric power,  though  he  did  not  give  it  that  name. 

"  Many  times  he  was  restless  and  uneasy,  not 
knowing  what  was  the  matter.  Something  in  the  air 
told  him  things  were  not  right. 

4'  He  had  great  determination  —  never  faltered  or 
lost  his  balance.  He  did  not  fear  death.  He  knew 
just  when  he  was  going.  He  carried  with  him  the 
.same  principles,  and  as  a  spirit  he  teaches  the  same 
doctrines  with  very  little  change,  though  he  may  not 
approve  of  all  his  writings.  If  he  were  to  write  now 
he  would  not  have  so  much  mystery.  He  made  his 
writings  rather  obscure  to  the  general  reader  —  now 
he  would  be  more  plain  and  clear.  He  was  a  frugal 
man  —  had  few  wants  —  was  temperate  in  all  things. 

"  He  is  interested  in  systems  of  religion  and  gov- 


Leaders  in  Religion.  53 

ernmental  systems.  He  would  regulate  and  arrange 
all  things  that  depress  men.  He  is  a  hater  of  slavery 
in  any  form.  I  have  never  known  this  man,  but  he 
is  not  a  stranger  to  Psychometry  and  to  you.  Many 
of  your  ideas  meet  his  approval,  and  he  would  give 
you  credit  for  knowing  more  than  he  did  of  the  cere- 
bral faculties.  He  never  knew  from  what  source  his 
knowledge  came.  He  never  analyzed  the  brain  cor- 
rectly. 

"  He  holds  now  a  very  high  rank  in  spirit  life  — 
has  great  veneration  and  religion.  As  to  the  doctrines 
he  taught,  I  should  not  approve  them  entirely,  and 
he  now  regards  many  of  his  doctrines  as  speculative, 
and  not  really  correct  from  his  present  standpoint. 
If  he  were  here  he  would  reform  his  church  —  he  must 
have  had  some  church  organization. 

When  he  passed  away  he  did  not  suffer  —  his  life 
passed  out  like  a  breath  —  it  was  like  a  translation. 
He  is  as  active  as  ever,  and  as  ready  to  respond  to 
calls.  He  looks  upon  the  believers  in  his  doctrines 
with  a  great  deal  of  pride  and  satisfaction. 

"  He  did  not  live  in  this  country,  but  far  away.  I 
believe  I  know  who  this  is  —  it  is  Emanuel  Sweden- 
borg." 

GAUTAMA     BUDDHA. 

"  This  is  a  man  —  he  has  passed  away.  He  seems 
like  a  historical  character,  as  though  he  had  figured 
in  the  world's  history. 

"  As  I  reach  out  into  his  character,  it  seems  his 
morals  were  elevated  and  pure.  He  was  a  very  good 
man.  [At  this  moment  I  caught  an  impression  of  an 
elevated  and  very  intellectual  being.]  His  tenden- 
cies were  liberal  and  religious.  His  main  purpose  in 
life  was  to  perpetuate  a  religious  system.  He  seems 
like  one  bursting  the  shell  of  tyranny  and  old  systems 
—  an  undaunted  spirit  fearless  in  promulgating  his 
sentiments. 


54  Leaders  in  Religion. 

"  He  takes  me  away  back  among  the  martyrs,  and 
brings  up  those  terrible  scenes." 

(What  were  his  surroundings?) 

"  He  was  surrounded  by  those  who  might  be  called 
idolaters,  and  started  out  almost  single-handed  and 
alone  to  work  out  a  better  system.  In  early  life  he 
was  bound  to  a  system  very  distasteful  to  him  and  he 
gradually  outgrew  it. 

44  The  climate  was  warm.  In  his  early  life  the 
country  around  him  was  not  very  populous  —  the 
government  was  tyrannical ;  had  no  mercy  on  any 
form  of  crime.  His  own  position  was  in  the  higher 
ranks,  and  among  the  most  intelligent.  He  stood 
very  high,  socially,  and  was  greatly  admired.  He 
did  not  aim  at  wealth." 

(What  was  his  career?)  "  He  started  out  as  a 
reformer  in  religious  and  political  conditions,  for  all 
seemed  wrong  to  him  in  government  and  church  rule, 
-  he  turned  his  back  on  it  all.  He  was  a  great 
educator.  He  spent  years  in  meditation,  and  almost 
solitary,  before  he  made  his  purposes  known,  then 
came  out  boldly  and  preached  his  views  with  great 
success.  He  startled  the  people.  There  was  a 
general  uprising  against  him  as  an  innovator  and 
dangerous  man  by  the  priests.  It  caused  a  revolu- 
tion. The  authorities  strove  hard  to  suppress  him  - 
he  had  great  trouble  and  sometimes  danger  of  his 
life.  He  was  unjustly  accused.  He  was  finally  suc- 
cessful in  establishing  his  doctrines  and  received  the 
acclamations  of  the  intellectual  and  civilized.  He 
perpetuated  his  doctrines  even  to  this  day." 

(Where  did  all  this  occur?)  44  In  a  warm  country, 
farther  South  than  this  —  to  the  East  very  far ;  I 
cannot  tell  the  distance  ;  it  was  in  the  old  country. 
I  get  more  of  his  spirit  and  career  than  of  any  loca- 
tion." 

(What  is  the  magnitude  of  his  following  to-day?) 
"  It  ranks  as  high  as  any  denomination,  or  higher." 


Leaders  in  Religion.  55 

(In  what  era  was  this?)  "  It  was  before  the 
Christian  era,  and  yet  he  had  many  of  the  principles 
of  Christ  —  he  was  like  Jesus  —  was  prophetic.5' 

(How  does  he  compare  with  Jesus?)  "  He  was 
very  much  like  him.  His  birth  might  have  been  pre- 
dicted like  Jesus',  and  his  character  resembled. 

"  He  performed  things  considered  miracles  —  he 
healed  the  sick.  He  taught  morality  and  a  belief  in 
God,  instead  of  idols,  he  taught  love  and  faith,  and 
doing  as  we  would  be  done  by.  He  would  prohibit 
war  and  mal-treatment  of  animals." 

(What  of  his  system  and  his  followers  to-day?) 
"  They  are  a  dark  colored  people,  about  as  dark  as 
Arabs  —  not  a  large  people.  They  are  peaceable 
and  temperate  in  all  things.  They  adhere  to  his 
system  —  well  grounded  in  their  belief,  which  has 
become  traditional.  It  has  some  resemblance  to  the 
Catholic,  in  forms.  They  consider  their  doctrine 
older  and  better  than  Christianity.  They  seem  to 
be  vegetarians  averse  to  the  use  of  flesh." 

(What  do  you  think  was  the  mode  of  his  death?) 
"  He  was  not  crucified  as  Christ,  but  I  think  there 
was  some  betrayal  for  there  was  always  a  rancor 
between  his  followers  and  the  priests.  He  seems 
betrayed  in  some  way  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies, 
and  thereby  he  lost  his  life  through  treachery." 

This  opinion  does  not  say  much  of  the  intellectual 
character  of  Buddha  and  Buddhism  —  which  I  find 
mentioned  in  a  very  good  psychometric  description 
of  Buddha  some  years  since  by  Dr.  P.,  substantially 
like  the  foregoing.  The  following  passage,  however, 
gives  an  additional  illustration. 

"  He  is  not  like  the  old  Bible  spirits  —  was  not 
among  the  followers  of  Christ  —  did  not  feel  as  the 
Apostles  did.  His  vein  of  thought  is  separated  from 
them,  and  like  the  Greek  philosophers.  It  was  a 
religion  of  the  intellect  reasoned  out.  Miracles  did 
not  have  much  place  in  it.  His  religious  ideas  were 


56  Leaders  in  Religion. 

founded  on  reason  and  naturalism,  discarding  mira- 
cles —  somewhat  like  the  Unitarians.  He  believed 
in  a  measure  in  the  immortality  of  the  soul,  but 
did  not  realize  it  like  the  Christians.  It  was  not 
as  clearly  well  defined  as  we  would  like  it.  He 
did  not  see  the  spiritual  life  clearly,  though  he  had 
considerable  of  the  spiritual  element." 

KESHUB  CHUNDER  SEN  —  Before  his  Death. 

"  This  is  very  different  from  El  Mahdi.  I  like  him 
but  do  not  get  into  him  easily. 

44  It  is  a  good  character,  benevolent,  active,  very 
astute,  quick  in  seeing  into  things.  He  is  a  good 
teacher  —  has  great  brain  force,  strong  affectional 
nature,  industry  and  conscientiousness.  He  has  had 
to  struggle  with  the  ignoramuses  like  yourself —  a 
man  of  great  genius  and  hopefulness.  He  does  not 
lose  his  balance.  He  has  battled  with  reverses. 

"  He  is  truly  religious,  but  not  sanctimonious.  He 
has  inspiration  from  the  spiritual  faculties.  lie  is 
unlike  others  —  has  great  independence.  He  is  not 
bombastic  or  overbearing.  He  is  a  good  family  man, 
admirable  at  home  —  a  favorite  with  many. 

"  He  takes- the  unpopular  side  to  some  extent,  but 
his  merits  are  appreciated  by  many.  He  is  a  diligent, 
fluent  writer  and  a  public  speaker.  Every  one  that 
knows  him  (except  the  envious)  likes  him.  He  is 
always  ahead  of  his  hearers  —  far  advanced  beyond 
the  people — no  common  man. 

(Q^  What  people  are  around  him?)  "•  They  are 
civilized  —  that  is  about  all.  There  are  self-impor- 
tant people  whom  he  don't  like  much.  He  does  not 
have  battles  but  he  do  n't  admire  the  elements  around 
him. 

"  He  is  too  forgiving.  He  does  not  take  to  heart 
the  assaults  of  people  or  regard  them  —  a  high- 
minded,  whole-souled,  grand  man.  It  is  not  a  rigid 


Leaders  hi  Religion.  57 

climate  but  a  genial  one  where  he  lives*  He  will 
carry  out  much  that  he  desires,  but  not  accumulate 
wealth  —  yet  he  is  in  easy  circumstances. 

"•He  will  reform  the  religion.  He  will  not  be 
orthodox.  He  does  not  cater  to  the  rich.  He  has 
important  work  in  contemplation  and  begun.  He 
seems  like  an  abolitionist  in  principle.  His  work  is 
symmetrical.  He  will  live  to  see  a  good  deal  of  suc- 
cess. He  is  somewhat  like  John  the  Baptist  —  a  great 
religious  teacher." 

LAOU-TSZE  —  the  Chinese  Philosopher. 

"  There  is  a  great  deal  of  spirituality  and  venera- 
tion in  this. 

"  It  does  not  seem  a  Bible  character,  but  a  spirit 
that  existed  long,  long  ages  past,  and  has  become 
holy  and  god-like. 

"  This  spirit  once  had  great  ambition  and  desire 
for  power,  and  attained  it.  He  seems  to  have  lived 
anterior  to  the  Christian  dispensation.  When  he  lived 
all  religious  teaching  was  crude.  There  was  no  stand- 
ard by  which  the  people  could  be  led  ;  there  was  con- 
fusion of  thought.  It  seems  there  were  wars  and 
disturbances  and  a  reaching  for  power  and  aggrand- 
izement at  that  time  —  a  perpetual  strife.  No  man  or 
woman  was  safe  in  their  home. 

"  I  seem  in  a  city,  in  constant  fear  of  invasion  by 
hostile  forces.  He  passed  away  before  the  accom- 
plishment of  his  purposes,  in  the  midst  of  strife  —  a 
beautiful  spirit.  He  had  great  moral  elevation  — 
great  spiritual  elevation  —  he  saw  and  felt  the  needs 
of  the  people. 

"He  was  an  intuitive  scientist  —  a  geologist  and 
philosopher.  He  did  not  accept  the  current  theories. 
He  had  remarkably  clear  perception  and  clairvoyant 
powers.  But  he  had  something  intolerant  in  his  char- 
acter. He  was  rather  too  positive  for  a  great  teacher. 
His  mode  of  expression  was  forcible  and  magnetic. 


58  Readers  in  Religion. 

"  He  is  a  glorious  spirit  now.  He  would  engage  in 
regulating  governments  if  he  could.  He  would  favor 
the  teachings  of  Christ  now." 

(Q^  Whom  is  he  most  like?)  "  I  can't  think  of 
any  one.  He  has  warmth,  philanthropy,  positiveness 
and  intolerance  of  opposition." 

(Q^  How  does  he  compare  with  Confucius?) 
"  More  favorably  than  with  Socrates.  He  does  not 
differ  very  widely.  His  teachings  would  be  similar, 
but  he  is  clearer  and  presents  his  thought  more  clearly 
than  Confucius  —  more  like  the  principles  of  Jesus. 
He  does  not  follow  authority  —  he  is  original.  He  is 
more  independent  than  Confucius,  and  would  not 
adhere  to  the  old  books.  He  had  more  genius  and 
originality  than  Confucius,  but  there  was  considera- 
ble resemblance." 

Another  psychometer  said  :  "  He  differs  from  Con- 
fucius in  greater  power  to  originate,  construct  and 
carry  out." 

(Q^  How  would  Confucius  have  regarded  him?) 
"  Confucius  might  not  have  regarded  him  as  an 
equal,  but  would  regard  him  as  a  great  thinker. 

(Q^  Is  he  interested  in  the  world  here?)  "  He  is 
given  to  great  devotion.  He  would  exhort  to  patience 
and  devotion  through  mediums.  He  does  not  come 
much  to  America — chiefly  to  the  eastern  continents. 
He  is  more  in  harmony  with  Jesus  than  Confucius. 
He  wrote  a  great  deal  and  spoke  a  great  deal  in  life. 
He  was  an  authority  —  a  founder  of  new  thought  in 
philosophy  and  religion.  I  would  have  chosen  him 
before  Confucius.  He  has  followers  still  to  the 
present  time." 

CONFUCIUS. 

<k  This  is  no  common  thing  —  a  strong  penetrating 
influence.  I  feel  a  great  power  —  the  influence  seems 
male.  There  is  intellectual  brightness,  vividness, 


Leaders  in  Religion.  59 

more  than  ordinary.     It  combines  male   and  female 
influences. 

"  There  is  such  a  breadth  and  scope  to  this  mind, 
and  so  much  of  the  love  element  as  to  suggest  the 
female. 

"  It  is  a  scholastic  mind,  given  to  great  undertak- 
ings, with  strength  of  will  to  accomplish  them.  The 
influence  takes  possession  of  me,  and  I  feel  like  a 
rock  —  solid  and  immovable. 

"  I  would  want  to  write  books  and  make  a  great 
name  for  myself,  being  very  ambitious  to  establish 
forms  and  systems  of  government  and  religions.  I'd 
combine  politics  and  religion  and  make  them  one. 
I'd  reform  everything  and  let  nothing  remain  as  it  is. 
I'd  reform  all  laws  and  simplify  everything." 

(Q^.  What  did  he  do?)  "He  did  many  things. 
He  was  endowed  with  uncommon  faculties  and  intui- 
tions —  second  to  no  man  living.  He  is  a  historical 
character. 

"  His  character  was  singularly  divided.  He  had 
two  extremes.  He  could  have  been  tyrannical  and 
oppressive  if  he  had  been  in  power  in  the  remote 
period  when  he  lived,  but  he  never  swerved  from  his 
purpose  with  all  his  opposition  and  seeming  unpopu- 
larity. He  had  so  much  force  of  character  and  saw 
the  need  of  reformation,  he  would  seem  coercive  to 
some.  But  there  is  no  military  tyranny.  He  had  no 
military  career. 

"  He  taught  great  humility.  He  taught  love  and 
philanthropy  like  Christ  —  had  that  fatherly  pro- 
tecting character  as  Jesus.  It  seems  to  me  he  was 
before  —  some  centuries  before  Jesus. 

(Q^.  What  of  his  religion?)  "He  taught  a 
religion  of  morality  —  he  had  no  antagonism  to 
liberal  sentiments.  He  was  not  Orthodox,  but  a 
reformer  and  innovator  in  religion  and  government. 
He  would  put  down  war.  He  was  not  aggressive  — 
would  sooner  conquer  by  love  than  by  the  sword. 


60  Leaders  in  Religion. 

He  might  perform   something   miraculous.      He   had 
great  controlling  powers. 

"  His  religion  was  not  like  that  of  Mahomet.  He 
walked  with  angels  and  was  near  our  modern 
Spiritualism.  He  believed  in  Deity  and  used  sym- 
bols in  his  teachings.  He  was  devoted  to  the  moral 
but  believed  also  in  prayer  —  yet  relied  on  works 
and  taught  a  practical  religion. 

"  He  compares  favorably  with  Jesus.  He  was 
more  communicative  —  talked  more  with  the  people 
and  not  so  much  in  parables.  His  sayings  were 
better  understood  by  the  common  people.  He  was 
a  self-sacrificing  man  and  cared  little  for  his  own 
personal  comforts.  He  had  not  as  much  enthusiasm 
as  the  Christian  system.  His  teachings  did  not  lead 
the  mind  from  the  moral  to  the  spiritual,  but  kept  the 
moral  foremost. 

(Qc  Was  he  conservative  or  progressive?)  "It 
seemed  he  was  slow  —  did  not  lead  the  people  on  by 
excitement  but  deliberately.  His  followers  progressed, 
but  there  was  limit  to  their  progression,  and  it  ceased. 
It  was  a  step  toward  the  Christian  system.  Fate 
ordained  that  he  should  give  the  world  a  certain  kind 
of  teaching,  preparing  it  for  the  Christian  era.  He 
was  not  an  idolater.  His  teaching  did  not  lead  them 
on  as  there  were  none  of  his  followers  to  carry  them 
on.  Some  were  more  spiritual,  but  not  more  logical. 

"  He  had  more  influence  on  women.  They  took 
in  his  teachings  more  readily.  He  had  a  high  idea 
of  women's  nature,  but  his  followers  did  not.  He  did 
not  give  much  publicity  to  his  sentiments,  as  woman 
was  not  so  important  then  as  now.  His  followers  are 
not  growing  or  spreading. 

"It  needed  more  of  the  true  spirit  —  the  Divine 
spirit.  It  needed  the  Divine  spirit  to  make  it  a  suc- 
cessful teaching  —  more  faith.  There  was  a  lack 
of  the  religious  element.  He  regarded  the  higher 
influences,  but  not  with  much  of  the  devotional  spirit. 


Leaders  in  Religion.  61 

What  is  his  present  condition?)  "  In  the 
spirit  world  he  has  made  great  progress  —  what  he 
lacked  here  he  has  gained  there.  His  influence  on 
the  earth  is  powerful  and  effective.  He  is  now  in  the 
realm  of  Jesus,  and  would  fall  in  with  his  doctrines. 

(Q^     What  does  he  think  now  of  woman?)     "  He 
desires  that  woman  shall  receive  all  the  honors  that 
man  can  give  her.     He  predicts  that  she  will  rise  to 
her  proper  status  in    all    countries.     The    time   will 
come  when  there  shall  be  no  women  slaves. 
(Q^.     How  does  he  regard  my  labors?) 
The  answer  was  a  cordial  endorsement. 

JOHN  CALVIN  —  an  Unfinished  Sketch. 

I  placed  the  name  of  Calvin  in  her  hands  as  that  of 
a  man  to  be  described,  as  I  sometimes  assist  her  pro- 
gress by  stating  the  sex  which  saves  the  trouble  of 
finding  it  for  herself.  My  general  method,  however, 
is  to  say  nothing,  leaving  her  to  discover  all.  The  sex 
is  not  as  conspicuous  a  fact  to  Psychometry  as  the 
general  character. 

DESCRIPTION. 

r 

"  I  feel  that  this  is  a  person  of  great  prominence  — 
great  intellectual  prominence.  1  don't  think  I  know 
anything  of  him.  I  feel  a  great  working  force  in  the 
front  brain.  (She  next  described  the  cerebral  action 
as  extending  up  from  the  outer  part  of  the  forehead 
along  the  sidehead  to  the  upper  posterior  region.) 

"  I  feel  that  his  mind  took  a  wide  scope.  All  his 
faculties  were  brought  into  action  in  his  life-work. 
He  is  not  alive.  He  had  a  stupendous  intellect.  He 
aimed  at  power  and  attained  it  too.  I  do  not  admire 
him.  I  think  he  was  unscrupulous.  His  self-love 
was  very  great.  He  ^as  not  a  philanthropist — would 
not  sacrifice  himself  for  anything. 


62  Leaders  in  Religion. 

"  I  think  he  had  something  to  do  with  military 
affairs  and  was  at  home  in  time  of  national  distur- 
bances. He  had  fine  literary  capacity  and  wrote 
extensively.  He  had  great  originality  of  expression. 
He  is  not  like  any  one  that  I  know.  His  mind  was 
versatile.  He  had  a  great  repertoire  of  subjects.  His 
chief  occupation  was  with  the  pen.  He  had  much 
scientific  knowledge  and  an  inventive  mind." 

(How  was  he  regarded  then  and  now?)  "  I  could 
tell  more  if  I  had  his  writing.  His  intellect  was  not 
displayed  in  poetry." 

(What  were  his  religious  ideas?)  "He  was  an 
innovator  in  religion  —  was  iconoclastic.  He  had  few 
reformatory  ideas  such  as  Jesus  taught.  He  had  not 
the  spirit  of  Christianity.  He  was  selfish.  He  would 
not  teach  universal  salvation.  He  had  a  peculiar  doc- 
trine of  his  own  which  he  established.  He  believed 
in  a  supreme  being  and  a  future  life.  He  was  not  an 
American.  His  ideas  were  not  in  harmony  with  ours. 
He  was  a  bigoted  man.  It  is  difficult  for  me  to  under- 
stand him.  His  chief  aim  was  to  bring  people  to  his 
own  way  of  thinking.  If  he  had  power  he  would 
use  unscrupulous  measures  to  force  people  into  his 
views." 

Thus  far  her  answers  came  slowly  and  she  seemed 
so  embarrassed  and  out  of  sympathy  with  the  charac- 
ter, in  fact,  feeling  a  positive  disgust,  that  it  was 
necessary  in  justice  to  the  occasion  to  discontinue  the 
investigation.  As  she  said  afterwards  —  it  was  like 
pulling  teeth  to  say  any  more  about  him.  She  has  a 
great  aversion  to  describing  evil  characters  and 
though  she  does  sometimes  describe  a  wicked  or 
unprincipled  character  it  is  not  her  forte  and  she  dis- 
likes greatly  such  mental  associations  which  leave  an 
unpleasant  influence. 

As  far  as  she  went,  howeven,  she  struck  Calvin's 


Leaders  in  Religion.  63 

true  character.  His  grand,  intellectual  power  and 
literary  ability  are  known  to  all.  His  selfish,  unscrup- 
ulous and  tyrannical  character,  so  widely  different 
from  the  character  and  teaching  of  Jesus,  she  correctly 
stated,  and  in  that  we  see  why  he  was  responsible  for 
the  murder  of  Servetus  by  fire,  and  for  the  grand  per- 
version of  Christianity  from  a  system  of  love  to  one 
of  tyrannical  cruelty. 

SERVETUS,  learned  in  la-w  and  physic,  a  fearless 
champion  of  Unitarianism,  and  author  of  "Chris- 
tianity Restored,"  incautiously  trusted  himself  too  near 
the  tiger,  by  stopping  in  Geneva  on  his  way  to  Italy. 
Calvin  procured  his  arrest,  trial  and  condemnation  by 
a  Catholic  tribunal  to  death  by  fire  for  heresy,  which 
was  savagely  carried  out,  October  27,  1553,  with  a 
slow  fire  of  green  oakwood,  on  a  hill  near  Geneva, 
in  full  view  of  Nature's  sublimities,  before  a  large 
throng  of  superstitious  bigots. 

"  That  thrice  accursed  flame 
Which  Calvin  kindled  by  Geneva's  lake." 

MICHAEL  SERVETUS — the  Martyr. 

"  This  seems  a  person  not  living.  There  was  a 
good  deal  of  ambition  and  will-power  here,  combined 
with  gentleness  and  forbearance.  I  get  among  the 
manuscripts  and  books  of  a  man.  He  has  a  taste  for 
literature  and  publication.  He  takes  me  back  far  in 
the  past  —  yet  he  had  many  modern  views  upon  sci- 
ence and  religion.  He  was  a  man  of  progressive  ideas. 
He  had  very  strong  prejudices.  When  he  discovered 
a  truth  he  was  independent  and  did  not  stop  to  think 
whether  it  would  meet  the  approbation  of  the  public 
—  he  challenged  criticism.  He  seems  an  educator, 


64  Leaders  in  Religion. 

founding  new  doctrines.  Ik;  was  a  religious  man. 
His  views  of  the  Deity  were  correct.  He  had  no  vin- 
dictiveness  in  himself,  and  could  not  rind  it  in  the 
Deity.  He  was  quite  an  innovator  in  the  religion  of 
his  time,  though  he  may  have  had  some  remnants  of 
orthodoxy  in  his  mind." 

(What  sort  of  a  career  did  he  have?) 

"  He  had  many  storms  to  contend  writh  —  Intoler- 
ance and  bigotry  reigned  supreme,  and  he  stood  very 
much  alone.  I  consider  him  a  great  leader  —  he  had 
a  small  following.  His  'ambition  was  to  establish  an 
improved  condition,  but  he  lived  in  a  period  which  had 
not  our  facilities  for  improvement,  and  therefore  had  a 
great  deal  of  difficulty  and  anxiety.  He  did  not  live 
to  realize  his  hopes.  He  met  opposition  from  the 
church  —  the  clergy  were  his  greatest  opposers  —  it 
resulted  unfavorably  for  him  —  he  was  arrested  in  his 
career  and  imprisoned  and  condemned  for  heresies, 
and  he  suffered  —  oh,  how  he  suffered  mentally  and 
physically  ;  but  he  never  retracted  his  sentiments  —  he 
suffered  tortures  of  mind  and  body,  and  gave  up  his 
life  for  his  principle,  like  the  old  martyrs.  Was  this 
Servetus?  I  feel  that  it  was  —  T  know  his  end  —  he 
was  burned." 

(How  did  he  regard  Calvin?)  "  He  considered 
him  a  monster  in  his  character,  conduct  and  doctrines." 

(You  are  right —  it  is  Servetus.)  "  It  is  wonderful 
—  I  only  know  that  Servetus  was  a  martyr,  but  not  the 
circumstances  or  its  connexion  with  Calvin." 

MARTIN     LUTHER. 

"  This  seems  a  man  —  not  living  —  it  is  very  long 
since  he  lived. 

"  It  seems  to  me  he  was  a  leader  of  some  kind  — 
there  was  a  great  deal  of  system  in  his  work  —  he 
wras  a  disciplinarian.  His  work  was  humanitarian 
and  reformatory.  It  seems  to  me  he  was  a  spiritual- 


Leaders  in  Religion.  65 

ist,  or  believer  in  spiritual  phenomena,  though  our 
spiritualism  did  not  exist  then.  He  was  himself  a 
seer,  for  he  saw  enough  to  be  able  to  prophesy.  He 
had  foreshadowings  in  his  mind  of  things  that  took 
place.  I  think  he  saw  spirits  and  conversed  with 
them.  (What  kind  of  spirits?)  He  saw  both  kinds, 
but,  I  think,  he  saw  especially  spirits  of  the  lower 
and  undeveloped  class  he  might  call  them,  in  his 
version,  spirits  of  the  damned,  but  I  don't  regard 
them  so.  They  were  sensual,  lustful  and  malicious 
spirits.  (Why  did  he  have  that  class?)  Because 
his  own  mind  dwelt  on  melancholy  conditions.  Some 
might  say  they  were  fancies  of  his  imagination,  but 
I  think  they  were  real  spirits.  When  he  felt  in  a 
brighter  condition  he  would  commune  with  more 
developed  minds. 

"  He  was  taught  by  spiritual  influences — gained 
much  instruction.  He  had  great  healing  power.  He 
did  a  great  deal  for  the  spirits  too,  as  well  as  mortals. 

(What  was  the  state  of  society  in  his  day?)  "  It 
was  rather  low  as  to  morals  and  intellect  —  more 
animal  than  spiritual.  Their  religion  was  of  a  low 
character,  no  better  than  paganism  —  the  kind  of 
religion  that  believes  in  offerings  and  sacrifices. 

"  He  was  a  reformer  —  gave  them  more  humane 
doctrines  —  did  away  with  their  idolatries  —  labored 
very  hard,  regardless  of  his  own  personal  comforts. 
He  succeeded  in  making  himself  understood,  and 
founded  a  new  system  of  Christian  religion.  He  was 
a  follower  of  the  doctrines  of  Jesus. 

(What  was  his  career  and  its  results?) 

"  He  was  denounced  as  an  impostor  by  some,  and 
accepted  by  others.  He  suffered  much,  bodily  and 
mentally,  in  his  mission,  but  never  swerved  from  his 
principles.  He  taught  the  people  more  orally  than 
by  his  writings.  He  was  a  profound  speaker  —  I 
don't  think  very  eloquent,  but  he  had  great  physical 
force  and  magnetism,  that  made  his  addresses  tell. 


66  Leaders  in  Religion, 

He  founded  a  system  which  has  gone  all  over  the 
world,  to  some  extent,  and  is  among  the  leading 
religions  to-day. 

"  He  suffered  a  good  deal  of  persecution  by  mobs 
and  governmental  power,  which  interfered  very  much 
with  his  career.  He  was  not  alone,  he  had  friends 
and  adherents,  men,  too,  who  approximated  to  his 
strength  as  teachers. 

"  He  was  educated  as  a  Catholic,  but  he  was  a 
Protestant." 

(What  did  he  think  of  the  Devil?)  "  He  believed 
in  a  personal  Devil  and  a  Hell." 

(How  does  he  compare  with  Calvin?)  "  He  was 
a  better  man  and  would  teach  a  more  humane  religion 
—  very  different." 

The  life  of  Luther  was  full  of  spiritual  experiences. 
His  healing  power  was  shown  in  curing  Melancthon 
when  he  was  apparently  on  his  death-bed. 

These  psychometric  studies  are  instructive. 

Among  the  great  nations  of  this  century  there  is  no 
influential  religious  organization  that  really  represents 
the  religion  of  Jesus,  which  was  engulfed  in  the 
paganism  and  political  corruption  of  the  Roman 
Empire,  losing  all  its  essential  characteristics,  but 
names,  professions  and  historical  memories.  From 
that  deep  immersion  an  attempt  was  made  for  its  res- 
cue by  two  great  men,  unfit  except  in  their  energy, 
for  such  a  task  —  one,  a  dark,  malignant,  capable  of 
the  most  horrid  crimes  —  the  other,  a  fanatical  pessi- 
mist to  whom  the  ministry  of  angels  seemed  diaboli- 
cal and  modern  astronomy  a  wicked  falsehood. 
When  we  look  into  these  men  psychometrically,  we 
understand  why  their  revolution  was  not  reformation 
except  so  far  as  it  shattered  an  ancient  tyranny  and 


Leaders  in  Religion.  67 

burned  out  an  accumulated  rottenness.  Protestant 
ecclesiasticism  is  but  little  nearer  to  Jesus  than  the 
Roman.  Everywhere  it  is  identified  with  homicide 
-  it  floats  in  the  red  tide  of  war,  sanctifying  it  with 
chaplains,  with  prayers  for  its  success  on  both  sides, 
and  with  a  preliminary  sanction  for  the  marshalling 
of  armies  and  declaration  of  war.  We  have  just  seen 
two  great  nations  on  the  brink  of  war,  spending  vast 
sums  for  preparation,  and  not  a  remonstrance  from  the 
church  in  either  country  or  in  any  other  country, 
against  the  introduction  of  Pandemonium. 

CAN  WE  CALL  THIS  CHRISTIANITY  ?  This  ecclesi- 
asticism garlanded  with  bayonets  and  surrounded  with 
cannon  !  Shall  we  call  this  organization  Christian- 
ity, the  religion  of  Divine  love  (which  would  suffer 
rather  than  inflict  a  wrong)  because  the  innate  virtues 
of  humanity  gleam  out  through  all  forms  of  false- 
hood, giving  to  all  deadly  ecclesiasticisms  a  beauty 
which  is  not  their  own. 

No  !  modern  Christianity  as  an  ecclesiasticism  is  a 
dire  apostacy,  though  it  has  not  been  able  to  destroy 
that  essential  religion  which  is  inseparable  from  human 
destiny  and  which  has  found  inspiration  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  New  Testament  and  lives  of  the  found- 
ers of  Christianity. 

How  was  it  that  the  religion  of  Christ,  St.  John, 
St.  Peter  and  St.  James  became  extinguished?  To 
answer  this  question  I  directed  the  psychometric  power 
to  those  who  seemed  to  have  resisted  the  bloody  per- 
version of  Christianity  which  has  ruled  and  still  rules 
the  civilized  nations.  I  directed  the  inquiry  to  the 
Albigenses  and  Waldenses  and  obtained  the  following 
reports : 


68  Leaders  in  Religion. 

ALBIGENSES. 

(This  is  not  an  individual  nor  a  planetary  body  to 
be  explored,  but  relates  to  places  and  people.)  "  It 
takes  me  a  long  distance  over  the  sea.  It  is  not  in  a 
cold  climate.  The  air  seems  balmy  as  I  go.  I  go 
into  the  interior  of  some  foreign  country.  The  peo- 
ple are  naturally  peaceable,  and  don't  care  to  affiliate 
with  other  nations.  If  not  disturbed  they  would 
never  go  into  wars.  They  have  no  warlike  sur- 
roundings. Their  complexions  are  rather  dark.  I 
do  not  know  their  origin.  They  have  not  much 
domestic  political  rule  among  them,  but  may  be  sub- 
ordinate to  other  powers. 

"  They  may  have  had  Christian  missionaries,  but 
do  not  seem  to  understand  Christianity.  They  believe 
in  a  Deity.  If  they  had  opportunities  they  would  fall 
in  with  the  Christian  religion,  but  it  has  not  been  pre- 
sented to  them  properly.  They  deal  with  each  other 
according  to  Christian  principles  and  have  no  strife. 
They  are  naturally  humane.  Originally  they  had 
ideas  foreign  to  Christianity,  but  as  they  advanced  in 
the  centuries  from  their  very  ancient  stock  they  par- 
took of  the  teachings  of  Jesus  rather  than  the  forms  of 
Catholicism.  They  never  were  Catholics.  They  had 
a  good  deal  of  fervor  and  adhesiveness  to  their  doc- 
trines and  their  people.  Then  there  was  a  system  of 
coercion  practiced  by  the  Catholic  dominion,  which 
unsettled  them  and  broke  up  their  organization,  scat- 
tered them  and  arrested  their  progress,  but  remnants 
remained  in  their  country  and  other  countries." 

(Was  this  in  Europe,  Asia  or  Africa  ?)  "I  think  in 
Western  Asia,  Asia  Minor,  and  South-Eastern  Europe." 

WALDENSES. 

"  This  seems  to  me  the  same  class  of  people  at  a 
later  period  more  acquainted  with  Christian  teachings 
and  obedient  to  the  Christian  system." 


Leaders  in  Religion.  69 

(Is  there  any  connection  between  the  two?) 

"  Yes,  it  seems  the  same  party  or  sect ;  they  might 
be  called   descendants,  both   in  doctrine   and  blood 
They  do  not  seem  different  essentially.     This  people 
are  in  such  development  they  can  receive  advanced 
teachings." 

(What  relation  do  they  bear  to  the  Catholics?) 
"  They  respect  the  Catholic  church  to  some  extent, 
but  have  Protestant  principles." 

(How  were  they  treated  by  the  Catholics  and 
adjacent  powers?) 

„ "  They  were  held  in  subjection  by  authorities  who 
thought  they  must  be  restrained.  If  they  had  been 
let  alone  they  would  have  been  a  peaceable  and  pro- 
gressive people,  I  am  sure  of  that.  They  were  a 
people  to  be  led,  not  driven  —  they  would  yield  to 
persuasion.  They  feared  the  powers  that  controlled 
them." 

(How  were  they  treated?)  "They  were  easily 
controlled  by  authority,  but  they  were  ill-treated." 
(Here  we  were  interrupted.) 

(Resumed  in  the  evening.)  "They  were  ill- 
treated  by  the  religious  powers  —  the  Catholic 
church,  of  which  they  were  in  fear.  They  were 
under  an  oppressive  hierarchy.  A  spirit  of  persecu- 
tion was  exercised  —  it  might  be  called  a  traditional 
persecution,  which  dispersed  and  drove  them  away. 
They  were  robbed  of  their  home,  their  people 
dragged  off  to  military  service  —  a  great  deal  of 
misery  was  produced ;  they  were  treated  like  slaves 
or  dogs.  They  resisted  —  the  contest  was  not  accord- 
ing to  the  usages  of  war,  but  like  butchery.  Almost 
the  entire  population  was  destroyed  —  many  thou- 
sands —  and  those  that  survived  were  enslaved." 

"  I  feel  that  there  was  some  interposition,  but  not 
sufficient  to  protect  them." 

(Are  there  any  remnants  of  them  to-day  ?)  <  *  There 
may  be  a  few  —  only  a  few." 


70  Leaders  in  Religion. 

(What  do  you  think  of  their  system  of  religion  if 
it  had  been  fairly  developed.) 

"  It  was  humane  and  orderly  —  they  remind  me 
of  pilgrims  seeking  only  to  be  at  peace.  They  were 
followers  of  Jesus,  believed  in  immortality  and  return 
of  spirits  or  spiritual  communion.  They  were  a 
finely  organized  people  —  intuitional,  mediumistic. 
They  treated  women  well  and  recognized  their 
equality,  being  in  advance  of  the  present  times." 

(How  do  they  compare  with  primitive  Christianity 
in  its  best  form?) 

"  It  was  very  like  it.  I  see  no  real  distinction. 
Their  most  intelligent  and  intuitive  people  considered 
themselves  the  lineal  descendants  of  primitive  Chris- 
tianity. It  gives  me  a  lofty  feeling  when  I  study  their 
natures." 

HENRI     ARNAUD. 

(How  does  this  character  impress  you?) 

"  It  gives  me  great  stimulus  in  the  intellectual  pro- 
phetic region  of  the  brain.  It  is  a  far-seeing,  far- 
reaching  mind  —  wich  the  most  humane  principles, 
without  selfishness  or  ambition,  except  to  do  great 
things  for  others.  There  is  great  strength  and  spiri- 
tual power  here." 

(I  felt  this  before  she  expressed  it.) 

"  I  can't  imagine  what  I  am  talking  of  but  the 
scenes  come  before  me.  He  seems  raised  up  for  a 
special  purpose  —  a  man  who  can  sift  the  chaff*  from 
the  wheat.  He  was  a  protector  to  the  weak  and 
unprotected,  helpless  and  innocent.  He  did  some- 
thing for  them.  He  gathered  the  remnants  and  took 
them  away  by  battle  and  strategy.  He  was  a 
religious  teacher  and  humble,  unselfish  man  —  a 
reformer,  a  true  follower  of  Jesus." 

Strictly  true,  and  more  might  have  been  said. 
HENRI  ARNAUD  was  one  of  nature's  nobility,  worth 


Leaders  in  Religion.  Jt 

more  than  all  the  leaders  of  the  Reformation.  He 
was  the  marvelously  inspired  and  heroic  man  who 
saved  a  remnant  of  the  Waldenses,  after  they  had 
been  persecuted  and  butchered  with  savage  ferocity 
from  the  bull  of  Innocent  VIII.,  1487,  till  their  final 
butchery  in  1686,  when  a  remnant  of  fourteen  thou- 
sand who  could  not  escape,  were  captured  and  thrust 
into  cruel  prisons  from  which  only  three  thousand 
issued  alive. 

The  exploits  of  the  Waldenses  under  their  pastor, 
ARNAUD,  a  man  unacquainted  with  war,  belong  to 
the  loftiest  realm  of  romance,  and  are  more  marvelous 
than  the  deeds  of  the  Spartans  at  Thermopylae.  With 
"  a  handful  of  starving  men,"  nine  hundred  in  num- 
ber, "  few  of  whom  had  ever  handled  a  musket," 
he  "  forced  a  passage  of  the  bridge  of  Sababer- 
tran  against  two  thousand  and  five  hundred  well 
entrenched  men,  killing  six  hundred  of  them,  and 
losing  only  fourteen  or  fifteen."  Less  than  four 
hundred  Waldenses  made  a  long  defence  against 
twenty-two  thousand  French  and  Piedmontese  who 
had  come  with  ropes  to  hang  them.  •  It  is  said  that 
the  Waldenses  in  nine  days  fought  eighteen  battles 
and  destroyed  ten  thousand  of  their  assailants  with  a 
loss  of  only  seventy  men.  The  successful  march  of 
Arnaud's  band  of  nine  hundred  over  the  lake  of 
Geneva,  and  through  mountains  occupied  by  the 
armies  of  French  and  Piedmontese,  making  prisoners 
as  he  went  and  ^passing  the  bridge  of  Sababertran, 
is  unequalled  in  the*  annals  of  war.  Their  leaders 
lucre  guided  by  intuition,  and  it  was  this  intuition 
which  led  Gen.  Grant  through  his  triumphant  cam- 
paigns. 


72  Leaders  in  Religion. 

The  foregoing  account  of  the  Albigenses  and  Wal- 
denses  is,  I  have  faith  to  believe,  a  true  divination  of 
their  origin  and  the  fidelity  with  which  they  main- 
tained the  peaceful  religion  of  Jesus,  until  battling 
with  martyr  courage  they  were  captured,  butchered, 
and  exiled. 

*•  O  bloodiest  picture  in  the  book  of  Time!  " 

It  is  to  be  hoped-  that  the  feeble  remnants  of  that 
Christian  people  may  prove  the  germs  of  a  new 
religious  life  for  Italy  and  Switzerland. 

The  feeble  efforts  for  their  relief  are  mentioned  in 
the  description.  Among  others,  Cromwell  and  Mil- 
ton endeavored  to  shield  them.  It  was  of  them  that 
Milton  wrote  the  immortal  lines  beginning  : 

"  Avenge,  O  Lord,  thy  slaughtered  Saints  whose  bones 
Lie  bleaching  on  the  Alpine  mountains  cold." 

Let  this  volume  of  Psychometry  give  its  feeble 
assistance,  not  to  avenge  the  victims,  but  to  honor  the 
memory  of  the  slaughtered  followers  of  Jesus. 

Still  more  eloquently  might  Milton  have  written 
had  he  attempted  to  describe  the  prosperity  and 
refined  civilization  of  the  kingdom  of  the  Incas  in 
South  America,  crushed  into  desolation  by  murder- 
ous Spanish  brigands  in  the  name  of  a  Christian 
church.  The  hopeless  ruin,  the  desolation,  poverty, 
and  demoralization  of  Qjiito,  and  the  surrounding 
country,  to-day  controlled  by  priests,  is  an  awful 
illustration  of  the  power  of  ecclesiasticism  to  con- 
vert a  divine  religion  into  a  desolating  curse  to 


Leaders  in  Religion.  73 

humanity.  Against  all  such  errors  and  crimes,  Psy- 
chometry  pleads,  trumpet-tongued.  In  this  enlight- 
ened age,  and  in  our  great  republic,  let  us  hope  that 
the  doctrine  and  the  life  of  divine  love  may  reappear 
with  the  firm  and  fervent  love  of  the  Jewish  martyr- 
prophets,  combined  with  the  ampler  knowledge  and 
greater  liberality  of  a  more  mature  age. 

When  I  reflect  upon  the  power  of  Psychometry, 
speaking  as  with  a  divine  toice,  calling  up  for  inspec- 
tion and  judgment  the  world's  religious  bodies  and 
its  numerous  systems  of  religion  —  calling  up  for 
judgment  all  who  have  aspired  to  lead  mankind,  and 
passing  in  review  the  supernal  life  as  well  as  the 
earthly  career,  I  am  forcibly  reminded  of  the 
resemblance  between  this  real  judgment  upon  the 
actual  panorama  of  nations,  and  the  juvenile  fiction 
cherished  by  theologians,  of  a  boundless  multitude 
assembled  on  some  future  day  to  receive  their  indi- 
vidual sentences  of  extreme  bliss  or  extremest  misery 
with  no  intermediate  fate.  This  imaginary  tribunal, 
if  it  gave  but  one  minute  to  each  mortal  arraigned, 
would  require  nearly  three  thousand  years  of  unin- 
termitting  labor  (twenty-four  hours  each  day),  fora 
single  generation  such  as  we  have  on  earth  to-day. 

The  power  of  Psychometry  on  earth  and  in  Heaven 

-  the  universal  perception  of  character  in  its  naked 

reality,  is  the  real  day  of  judgment,  which  all  must 

meet.     It  was  well  expressed  by  Mrs.  F.  O.  Hyzer 

in  her  remarkable  poem  on  Psychometry. 

"  To  thee  the  sea  shall  yield  its  dead, 
And  to  the  housetops  one  by  one 
The  secret  deeds  of  mail  be  led 


74  Leaders  in  Religion. 

Within  the  closet  done. 
Thy  records  shall  unquestioned  lie 
For  none  their  truth  will  dare  deny. 

Nor  to  our  planet's  atmosphere 
Is  thy  far-seeing  power  confined  — 

From  world  to  world,  from  sphere  to  sphere 
Of  omnipotent  mind, 

Thy  cables  stretch  and  interwine 
Charged  with  God's  glowing  fires  divine. 

The  great  negations  of  our  race  — 
Hate,  scorn,  hypocrisy  and  lust, 

Through  thee  shall  see  God  face  to  face, 
And  grovel  in  the  dust, 

Calling  upon  the  mountains  high 
To  hide  them  from  His  searching  eye." 


APPENDIX. 


THE  FAMOUS  PROPHECY  OF  CAZOTTE. 


The  belief  in  prophecy  which  has  been  entertained 
by  liberal-minded  and  religious  persons  from  the  most 
ancient  times,  and  which  has  been  opposed  chiefly  by 
modern  animalism,  is  so  well  sustained  by  examples 
of  successful  prophecy,  that  no  well  balanced  and  well 
disciplined  mind  can  reject  it.  Of  course  we  cannot 
recognize  as  well  disciplined,  the  minds  that  yield 
•passively  either  to  social  vulgarism  or  to  college  dog- 
matism. 

The  prediction  of  Monsieur  Cazotte  concerning  the 
events  of  the  French  Reign  of  Terror,  recorded  by 
the  celebrated  writer,  J.  F.  de  La  Harpe,  the  com- 
panion of  Voltaire,  in  his  posthumous  memoirs  pub- 
lished at  Paris,  1806,  is  in  several  respects  the  most 
satisfactory  of  modern  prophecies.  Prof.  Gregory 
says :  "It  was  well  known  in  all  its  details,  both  in 
Paris  and  London,  at  times  when  everyone  thought  it 
a  mere  dream.  I  have  seen  persons  who  heard  of  it 
very  soon  after  it  was  delivered,  and  who  remembered 
hearing  it  ridiculed  in  society  as  absurd.  It  is  par- 
ticularly worthy  of  notice  that  Cazotte,  who  was  a  man 
of  a  very  peculiar  turn  of  mind,  and  much  addicted  to 
the  study  of  occult  science,  was  also  subject  to  fits  of 
abstraction,  reverie  or  dreaming,  in  which  he  seems 
to  have  been  clairvoyant,  and  that  this  was  far  from 

75 


7  6  Appendix. 

being  the  only  occasion  in  which  he  uttered  predic- 
tions which  were  verified." 

La  Harpe  says  :  "  It  appears  to  me  but  yesterday, 
and  yet  it  was  early  in  1788.*  We  were  dining  with 
one  of  the  members  of  our  Academy,  a  man  of  rank 
and  talent.  The  guests  were  numerous,  and  of  all 
ranks  ;  courtiers,  lawyers,  writers,  academicians,  etc.  ; 
as  usual,  they  had  feasted.  At  desert,  the  wines  of 
Malvoisie  and  Constantia  gave  to  the  gayety  of  the 
company  that  sort  of  license  not  always  discreet ;  they 
had  arrived  at  that  pitch  where  anything  was  allow- 
able to  raise  a  laugh.  Chamfort  had  read  to  us  some 
of  his  impious  and  libertine  tales  ;  and  the  great  ladies 
had  listened  without  having  recourse  to  their  fans. 
Then  arose  a  deluge  of  jokes  on  religion.  One  quoted 
a  tirade  of  La  Pucelle,  and  then  recollected  these 
philosophic  verses  by  Diderot :  — 

"  Et  des  boyaux  du  dernier  pretre 
Serrer  le  cou  du  demier  roi," 

and  applauded  them.  A  third  rose,  and  holding  a 
brimming  glass  said :  *  Sirs,  I  am  as  sure  that  there 
is  no  God,  as  I  am  that  Homer  is  a  fool ; '  and  in  fact 
he  was  as  sure  of  one  as  of  the  other. 

"  The  conversation  then  became  more  serious  ;  they 
were  full  of  admiration  at  the  revolution  effected  by 
Voltaire,  and  agreed  that  he  had  thus  won  the  high- 
est title  to  glory.  He  had  given  the  prevailing  tone 
to  his  age,  and  was  equally  read  in  the  antechamber 
and  the  drawing-room.  One  of  the  guests  told  us 
with  bursts  of  laughter  that  his  hairdresser  had  said 
to  him  :  '  You  see,  sir,  although  I  am  no  more  than  a 
poor  apprentice  barber,  I  have  no  more  religion  than 
the  others.'  It  was  agreed  that  the  revolution  would 
soon  be  completed  ;  that  superstition  and  fanaticism 

*  La  Harpe,  who  died  in  1803,  was  forty-nine  years  of  age,  and  an 
ardent  Robespierrean  republican  when  this  prophecy  was  uttered.  The 
prophecy  of  Cazotte  was  attested  not  only  by  La  Harpe,  but  by  Madame 
Geiilis,  the  Counter  Beauliarnais,  and  others. 


Appendix.  77 

must  absolutely  give  way  to  philosophy ;  and  we  set 
about  calculating  the  probable  time  of  its  supremacy, 
and  who  among  them  would  witness  the  advent  of  the 
age  of  reason.  The  aged  lamented  the  improbability 
of  their  beholding  it,  while  the  young  rejoiced  in  the 
hope  of  seeing  it  reach  its  meridian  glory.  The 
Academy  was  above  all  congratulated  on  having  pre- 
pared the  great  -work,  and  on  having  been  the  princi- 
pal promoters  of  liberty  of  thought. 

"  One  alone  of  the  guests  had  not  taken  part  in  the 
gaiety  of  the  conversation,  and  had  even  passed  a  few 
quiet  jokes  on  our  fine  enthusiasm  :  it  was  Cazotte, 
an  amiable  and  original  man,  but  unfortunately  in- 
fatuated with  the  reveries  of  the  Illuminati.  He  took 
up  the  conversation,  and  in  a  serious  tone  said : 
'  Gentlemen,  be  content ;  you  will  all  witness  this 
grand  and  sublime  revolution  that  you  so  much  desire. 
You  know  I  am  a  Itttle  inclined  to  prophecy.  «I  re- 
peat, you  will  see  it.'  They  replied  by  the  well- 
known  line,  '  No  need  to  be  a  sorcerer  to  see  that.' 
4  Be  it  so  ;  but  perhaps  a  little  of  the  prophetic  spirit 
is  necessary  to  foresee  what  remains  for  me  to  tell 
you.  Do  you  know  what  will  be  the  result  of  this 
revolution  —  what  will  happen  to  you  all  ?  Do  you 
know  what  will  be  the  immediate  practical  effect,  the 
recognized  consequence  to  all  here  present !  '  *  Ah, 
tell  us,'  said  Condorcet,  with  his  insolent  and  half  sup- 
pressed smile,  '  a  philosopher  is  not  sorry  to  encounter 
a  prophet.'  '  For  you,  Monsieur  de  Condorcet,  you 
will  die  wretched  on  the  floor  of  a  dungeon ;  you  will 
die  of  the  poison  that  you  will  take  in  order  to  avoid 
the  block ;  of  the  poison  which  the  happiness  of  that 
time  will  oblige  you  to  carry  about  with  you.' 

"At  first  much  surprise  was  exhibited,  but  they 
presently  recollected  that  the  good  Cazotte  was  sub- 
ject to  waking  dreams,  and  they  laughed  heartily. 
k  Monsieror  Cazotte,  the  tale  that  you  have  told  is 
not  so  agreeable  as  your  Diablc  Anioureux  "  (a  novel 
of  Gazette's.) 


78  Appendix. 

"  But  what  devil  has  put  the  dungeon  and  poison 
and  executioners  into  your  head?  What  can  that 
have  to  do  with  philosophy  and  the  reign  of  reason  ?  " 
* '  That  is  exactly  what  I  am  telling  you  ;  it  is  in  the 
name  of  philosophy,  of  humanity  and  liberty,  and 
under  the  reign  of  reason  that  you  will  thus  end  your 
career,  and  well  may  it  be  called  the  reign  of  reason, 
for  she  will  then  occupy  all  the  churches,  and  there 
will  not  then  be  in  all  France  any  other  temples  than 
those  dedicated  to  the  Goddess  of  Reason."  "  By 
my  faith  (said  Chamfort  with  a  sarcastic  laugh) ,  you 
will  not  be  a  priest  in  those  temples."  "  I  hope  not, 
but  you,  Monsieur  de  Chamfort,  who  will  be  one, 
and  a  most  worthy  one,  will  open  your  veins  with 
twenty-two  razor  cuts,  and  yet  you  will  not  die  for 
some  months  afterwards."  They  looked  at  each 
other  and  laughed  again.  "  You,  Monsieur  Vicq 
d'Azyr,  will  not  open  your  own  veins,  but  you  will 
have  them  opened  six  times  in  one  day  in  an  attack 
of  the  gout,  in  order  to  be  sure  of  your  end,  and  you 
will  die  in  the  night.  You,  Monsieur  de  Nicolai,  will 
die  on  the  scaffold;  you,  Monsieur  Bailly,  on  the 
scaffold  ;  you,  Monsieur  de  Malesherbes,  on  the  scaf- 
fold." "Ah,  heaven  be  thanked  (said  Ruocher), 
this  gentleman,  it  seems,  only  wants  the  Academi- 
cians, he  has  made  a  great  slaughter ;  and  myself, 
for  mercy's  sake?"  "You?  You  also  will  die  on 
the  scaffold."  "  Oh  !  what  a  guesser ;  he  has  sworn 
to  exterminate  all  of  us."  "  No,  it  is  not  I  who  have 
sworn."  "  But  shall  we  then  be  conquered  by  Tar- 
tars and  Turks?  "  "  No,  not  at  all.  I  have  already 
told  you,  you  will  then  be  governed  by  philosophy 
and  reason  alone.  Those  who  will  thus  treat  you 
will  all  be  philosophers ;  will  have  at  the  time  on 
their  tongues  the  same  phrases  that  you  have  uttered 
during  the  last  hour ;  will  repeat  all  your  maxims, 
and,  like  you,  will  recite  the  verses  of  Diderot  and 
La  Pucelle." 


Appendix.  79 

"  Everybody  was  whispering,  "  you  see  he  is 
mad,"  for  he  was  perfectly  serious  and  solemn.  "  It 
it  easy  to  see  that  he  is  joking,  and  he  always  intro- 
duces the  marvelous  into  his  jests."  "  Yes  (replied 
Chamfort),  but  his  marvelousness  is  not  gay;  it 
savors  too  much  of  the  gibbet.  But  when  is  all  this 
to  happen? "  "  Six  years  will  not  have  passed  before 
all  that  I  have  said  will  be  accomplished." 

"You  talk  of  miracles  (and  now  it  was  I  who 
spoke),  but  you  have  not  included  me  in  your  list." 
"  You  will  then  be  a  miracle,  no  less  wonderful,  for 
you  will  then  be  a  Christian."  At  this  there  were 
many  exclamations  of  surprise  "Ah,  (said  Cham- 
fort),  I  am  relieved.  If  we  shall  only  perish  when 
La  Harpe  becomes  a  Christian  we  shall  be  immor- 
tal." "As  for  us  (then  said  Madame  la  Duchesse  de 
Grammont) ,  women  are  very  happy  to  rank  for  noth- 
ing in  revolutions.  When  I  say  for  nothing,  I  do  not 
mean  to  say  that  we  do  not  meddle  a  little,  but  our 
sex  is  exempt."  "  Your  sex,  ladies,  will  not  save 
you  this  time  ;  you  had  better  meddle  with  nothing, 
for  you  will  all  be  treated  as  men,  without  the  least 
difference."  "  But  what  do  you  mean,  Monsieur 
Cazotte?  You  are  preaching  to  us  the  end  of  the 
world."  "  I  know  nothing  about  that,  but  what  I 
do  know  is  that  you,  Madame  la  Duchesse,  will  be 
taken  to  the  scaffold,  you  and  many  other  ladies  with 
you,  in  the  executioner's  cart  with  your  hands  tied 
behind  your  back."  "Ah,  I  hope  in  that  case  I  shall 
at  least  have  a  carriage  hung  with  black." 

"  No,  madame  ;  ladies  of  higher  rank  than  your- 
self will,  like  you,  go  in  a  cart  with  their  hands 
bound  behind  them."  "Of  higher  rank!  What! 
Princesses  of  the  blood  I  "  "Of  still  higher  rank  !  '* 
At  this  the  company  began  to  be  agitated  and  the 
brow  of  the  host  grew  dark  and  lowering.  All  began 
to  feel  that  the  joke  grew  serious.  In  order  to  dispel 
the  cloud,  Madame  de  Grammont,  instead  of  noticing 


80  Appendix. 

this  reply,  said  in  a  lively  tone:  "You  see  he  will 
not  even  let  me  have  a  confessor."  "  No,  Madame  ; 
neither  you  nor  any  one  else  will  have  one.  The 
last  of  the  condemned  who  wrill  have  one,  as  a  special 
favor,  will  be  -  "  He  hesitated.  ; '  Well,  who  is  the 
happy  mortal  that  will  enjoy  this  prerogative?  "  "It 
is  the  last  that  will  remain  to  him  —  it  will  be  the 
king  of  France." 

"The  master  of  the  house  hurriedly  arose,  and  all 
was  confusion.  Approaching  M.  Cazotte,  he  said  to 
him  impressively:  "  My  dear  Monseiur  Cazotte,  we 
have  had  enough  of  this  mournful  farce.  You  carry  it 
too  far,  and  will  not  only  compromise  yourself,  but 
the  whole  company."  Cazotte  made  no  reply,  but 
preferred  to  depart.  When  Madame  de  Grammont, 
who  was  always  merry,  turned  towards  him  and  said  : 
"  Sir  Prophet,  you  have  told  us  all  our  good  fortunes, 
but  you  have  said  nothing  of  your  own."  He  mused 
for  some  time  with  his  eyes  cast  down.  "  Madame, 
have  you  read  *  The  Siege  of  Jerusalem  in  Jose- 
phus?'  "Oh,  certainly,  who  has  not?  But  tell 
me  as  though  I  had  not  read  it."  "  Well,  Madame, 
during  the  siege  there  was  a  man  who,  for  seven  days 
and  nights,  walked  the  ramparts  incessantly,  in  the 
sight  of  besieged  and  besiegers,  shouting  in  a  sad 
and  loud  voice  :  '  Woe  to  Jerusalem  ! '  and  on  the 
seventh  day  he  cried  :  '  Woe  to  Jerusalem  !  Woe  to 
myself!'  "  at  which  moment  an  enormous  stone  cast 
by  the  enemies'  machines,  struck  him  and  crushed 
him  to  death."  On  saying  this,  Cazotte  bowed  and 
retired." 


These  predictions  were  wonderfully  fulfilled.  La 
Harpe,  from  being  a  supporter  of  Robespierre, 
became  disgusted  with  the  revolution  and  adopted 
religious  views.  Bailly  was  executed  in  their  usual 
savage  style  by  the  Jacobins,  November,  n,  1793. 
His  profound  scientific  and  historic  writings,  and  his 


Appendix.  Si 

eminent  services  as  mayor  of  Paris,  and  as  president 
of  the  National  Assembly,  inspired  no  mercy  in  the 
savages.  The  learned  and  exemplary  Malesherbes 
was  arrested  in  December,  1793,  and  executed  April 
22,  1794.  Thus  both  met  their  fate  within  the  six 
years  allowed  by  Cazotte. 

Of  Chamfort,  the  brilliant  wit  and  furious  revolu- 
tionist, Chambers'  Cyclopedia  says  that  he  died  in 
1794  (within  the  six  years  of  Cazotte).  He  had 
been  once  arrested  for  his  reckless  expressions,  and 
being  threatened  with  a  second  arrest,  he  attempted 
suicide  with  pistol  and  poignard,  and,  shockingly 
hacked  and  shattered,  dictated  to  those  who  came  to 
arrest  him,  the  well  known  declaration:  "  I,  Sebas- 
tian Roch  Nicholas  Chamfort,  declare  that  I  would 
soon  suffer  death  as  a  freeman  than  be  conducted  as 
a  slave  to  prison."  He  did  not  die  immediately,  but 
lingered  a  while  in  the  charge  of  a  gen  d'arme. 

Roucher  was -put  to  death  August  7,  1794,  Cazotte 
was  executed  September  25,  1792,  and  Vicq  D'Azyr 
died  June  20,  1794. 

Prof.  Gregory  says  :  ' '  When  for  the  first  time  I 
read  this  astonishing  prediction,  I  thought  that  it  was 
only  a  fiction  of  La  Harpe's,  and  that  that  celebrated 
critic  wished  to  depict  the  astonishment  which  wrould 
have  seized  persons  distinguished  for  their  rank,  tneir 
talents,  and  their  future,  if  several  years  before  the 
revolution,  one  could  have  brought  before  them  the 
causes  which  were  preparing,  and  the  frightful  con- 
sequences which  would  follow.  The  enquiries  which 
I  have  since  made  and  the  information  I  have  gained 
have  induced  me  to  change  my  opinion.  M.  le 
Comte,  A.  de  Montesquieu,  having  assured  me  that 
Madame  de  Genlis  had  repeatedly  told  him  that  she 
had  often  heard  this  prediction  related  by  M.  de  la 
Harpe,  I  begged  of  him  to  have  the  goodness  to 
solicit  from  that  lady  more  ample  details.  This  is 
her  reply  : 


82  Appendix. 

NOVEMBER,  1825. 

"  I  think  I  have  somewhere  placed  among  my  sou- 
venirs, the  anecdote  of  M.  Cazotte,  but  I  am  not  sure. 
I  have  heard  it  related  a  hundred  times  by  M.  de  La 
Harpe,  before  the  revolution,  and  always  in  the  same 
form  as  I  have  met  with  it  in  print,  and  as  he,  him- 
self, has  caused  it  to  be  printed.  This  is  all  that  I 
can  say  or  certify,  or  authenticate  by  my  signature. 

COUNTESS  DE  GENLIS." 

"  I  have  also  seen  the  son  of  M.  Cazotte,  who  as- 
sured me  that  his  father  was  gifted  in  a  most  remark- 
able manner  with  a  faculty  of  prevision,  of  which  he 
had  numberless  proofs ;  one  of  the  most  remarkable 
of  which  was  that  on  returning  home,  on  the  day  on 
which  his  daughter  had  succeeded  in  delivering  him 
from  the  hands  of  the  wretches  who  were  conducting 
him  to  the  scaffold,  instead  of  partaking  of  the  joy  of 
his  surrounding  family,  he  declared  that  in  three  days 
he  should  be  again  arrested,  and  that  he  should  then 
undergo  his  fate  ;  and  in  truth  he  perished  on  the  25th 
of  September,  1792,  at  the  age  of  seventy-two. 

"  In  reference  to  the  above  narrative,  M.  Cazotte, 
Jr.  would  not  undertake  to  affirm  that  the  relation  of 
La  Harpe  was  exact  in  all  its  expressions,  but  had  not 
the  smallest  doubt  as  to  the  reality  of  \\\z  facts. 

"  I  ought  to  add  that  a  friend  of  Vicq  d'  Azyr,  an 
inhabitant  of  Rennes,  told  me  that  that  celebrated 
physician,  having  travelled  into  Brittany  some  years 
before  the  revolution,  had  related  to  him,  before  his 
family,  the  prophecy  of  Cazotte.  It  seemed  that  not- 
withstanding his  skepticism,  Vicq  d'  Azyr  was  uneasy 
about  this  prediction. 

A  letter  on  this  subject  from  Baron  Delamothe 
Langon,  addressed  to  M.  Mialle,  gives  additional  con- 
firmation as  follows  :  — 

''You  inquire  of  me,  my  dear  friend,  what  I  know 
concerning  the  famous  prediction  of  Cazotte  mentioned 


Appendix.  83 

by  La  Harpe.  I  have  heard  Madame  la  Comtesse 
de  Beauharnais  many  times  assert  that  she  was  pres- 
ent at  this  very  singular  historical  fact.  She  related 
it  always  in  the  same  way,  and  with  the  accent  of 
truth ;  her  evidence  is  fully  corroborated  by  that  of 
La  Harpe.  She  spoke  thus,  before  all  the  persons 
of  the  society  in  which  she  moved,  many  of  whom 
still  live,  and  could  equally  attest  this  assertion.  You 
may  make  what  use  you  please  of  this  communication. 
Adieu,  my  good  old  friend.  I  remain  with  inviolable 
attachment.  Yours, 

BARON  DELAMOTHE  LANGON. 

To  obtain  the  light  of  psychometry  in  understanding 
the  powers  of  Cazotte,  I  took  down  a  report  of  Mrs. 
B.'s  impressions  from  the  concealed  words,  "Monsieur 
Cazotte  at  Paris,  1788,"  which  were  as  follows:  "I 
feel  an  intellectual  glow.  It  is  a  man  of  fine  abilities 
—  of  great  individuality  of  character.  I  think  he  is 
in  the  spirit  world.  He  had  remarkable  powers  — 
powers  of  divination.  It  brings  clearness  and  freshness 
of  thought.  It  seems  like  one  before  the  public  as  a 
leader  or  teacher.  He  seems  of  the  past,  sixty  or 
seventy  years  back  or  more.  He  lived  in  the  last 
century  chiefly,  very  little  in  this.  (He  died  in  1792.) 

"  He  had  wonderful  powers  —  he  was  so  prophetic 
and  so  sound.  His  powers  were  psychometric  — 
within  himself — to  make  wise  sayings.  He  felt 
things  that  were  to  happen  to  people.  He  predicted 
a  great  many  things  that  occurred.  He  did  not  com- 
prehend what  gave  him  that  power. 

"  He  seems  something  like  Swedenborg.  I  don't 
think  he  attributed  his  predictions  to  spirit  power, 
lie  \vas  not  religious  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the 
word.  He  had  very  peculiar  views  —  he  was  rather 
iconoclastic. 

"He  won  many  friends.  He  was  sought  and  re- 
spected. He  was  interested  in  governmental  affairs, 


84  Appendtx. 

but  would  be  unpopular  with  the  authorities.  He  had 
a  careless  way  of  expressing  himself,  and  might  pro- 
voke the  rabble,  though  he  was  rather  a  favorite  with 
the  people.  He  was  an  aristocrat. 

(What  do  you  think  of  his  prophetic  power?)  "  I 
think  he  seldom  failed  in  his  predictions.  He  was 
very  correct  in  giving  the  dates  at  which  things  would 
occur.  He  would  predict  a  person's  death,  and  it 
would  occur  as  he  predicted. 

(  How  does  he  compare  with  other  prophets  ? )  < '  He 
compares  well  with  Daniel.  He  was  more  correct, 
and  had  a  greater  variety  of  power.  He  was  ac- 
quainted with  astrology.  He  was  very  independent. 

(What  was  the  end  of  his  life?)  "  He  was  dealt 
with  harshly.  He  had  persecution  from  priestly 
sources.  He  was  brought  before  some  tribunal.  The 
priests  considered  him  in  league  with  the  devil. 
He  was  sought  by  society,  which  created  envy  and 
jealousy.  Many  went  to  him  to  know  of  the  future." 


FREQUENCY     OF    PREVISION. 

I  have  not  met  with  any  examples  of  prevision  quite 
as  remarkable  in  circumstance  and  dramatic  force  as 
that  of  M.  Cazotte,  but  I  have  had  many  illustrations 
of  a  power  equally  distinct  and  satisfactory  in  its 
predictions,  in  the  experience  of  Mrs.  B.,  and  of 
others  whom  I  have  made  acquainted  with  Psychome- 
try.  Mr.  Charles  Dawbarn,  of  New  York,  has  been 
especially  successful  in  foreseeing  future  events  and 
conditions.  He  has  made  several  predictions  con- 
cerning myself  which  have  been  accurately  fulfilled  ; 
one  relating  to  my  residence  two  years  later,  another 
referring  to  the  publication  of  this  volume.  About 
six  years  since  he  was  sitting  with  other  guests  in 
the  parlor  of  a  Health  Institute  in  Owego,  New  York, 


Appendix.  85 

when  two  ladies  who  had  just  arrived,  were  intro- 
duced, being  strangers  to  all  but  the  hostess.  Psy- 
chometry  soon  became  the  subject  of  conversation, 
when  these  ladies,  mother  and  daughter,  defied  him 
to  look  into  their  surroundings,  Mr.  D.  turned  to  the 
senior  lady  and  said  :  "  Madam,  in  six  months  you 
and  your  daughter  will  be  working  for  a  living.  In 
about  eighteen  months  you  will  again  be  in  comforta- 
ble circumstances."  Of  course  this  was  deemed 
incredible,  but  in  due  time  it  was  fulfilled.  Their 
property  had  been  in  oil  wells,  which  ceased  to  pro- 
duce, and  they  had  to  open  boarding  houses  to  earn 
their  livelihood,  but  after  eighteen  months  their  prop- 
erty became  more  valuable  than  ever,  placing  them 
in  independent  circumstances.  These  details  have 
been  verified  by  the  ladies,  whom  I  know  to  be  intel- 
ligent and  reliable. 

Early  in  1882  Mr.  Dawbarn  fell  in  with  an  intelli- 
gent lady  who  was  a  student  and  candidate  for  gradu- 
ation in  a  medical  college,  but  depressed  in  spirits  and 
fearful  of  failure  in  her. graduation.  Mr.  D.  looked 
into  her  future  and  assured  her  that  she  would  pass  a 
creditable  examination ;  would  then  travel  to  the 
West,  make  money  rapidly  and  then  send  for  her  pre- 
ceptor to  associate  with  her  in  professional  business. 
This  was  all  fulfilled ;  I  had  the  pleasure  of  signing 
her  diploma.  She  was  financially  successful,  and  has 
associated  with  her  preceptor  in  California. 

Mr.  Dawbarn's  descriptions  of  disease  and  of 
character  are  as  remarkable  as  his  prevision.  A  gen- 
tleman about  a  year  ago  asked  his  opinion  of  a 
certain  lady  ;  Mr.  D.  replied  that  she  was  a  victim 
of  the  opium  habit.  The  gentleman  was  quite 
shocked  at  this  revelation,  and  made  careful  inquiries 
of  the  lady  and  her  friends,  which  satisfied  him  that 
Mr.  D.  was  mistaken,  but  three  weeks  after  telling 
him  that  it  was  a  mistake,  he  wrote  to  Mr.  Dawbarn 
from  Saratoga  that  he  had  just  ascertained  that  the 
"  statement  was  a  horrible  truth." 


86  Appendix. 

About  five  years  ago,  a  lady  (the  sister  of  a  New 
physician),  living  in  an  adjoining  county,  was  quite 
ill,  and  a  consultation  of  physicians  decided  that  they 
could  give  her  no  relief.  Her  husband  sent  a  lock  of 
her  hair  to  her  brother,  the  physician  in  New  York, 
for  .psychometric  examination,  who  handed  it  to  Mr. 
Dawbarn.  Mr.  D.  declared  that  the  lady  would  give 
birth  to  a  monstrosity.  The  doctor  considered  this  a 
failure,  but  in  six  weeks  from  that  time  she  was 
relieved,  by  instruments,  of  a  false  conception,  which 
verified  Mr.  Dawbarn's  prediction. 

Mr.  Dawbarn  is  sometimes  bold  and  emphatic  in 
his  opinions.  When  making  New  Year  calls  in  1880, 
he  was  greeted  in  a  New  York  mansion  by  a  ladv  and 
her  daughter,  who  at  that  moment  had  no  other  call- 
ers. The  lady  handed  him  a  small  note,  an  inch  or 
two  square  and  asked  him  the  character  of  the  writer. 
Mr.  D.  promptly  pronounced  the  writer  an  unprinci- 
pled scoundrel,  who  was  paving  his  way  to  the  state's 
prison.  The  statement  was  very  coldly  received,  and 
Mr.  D.  quickly  withdrew.  The  opinion  he  had  given 
led  to  a  detective  inquiry  into  the  private  life  of  the 
man,  who  was  beginning  to  pay  attentions  to  the 
young  lady.  It  was  discovered  that  he  was  leading 
the  life  of  a  gross  sensualist,  and  that  under  the  guise 
of  respectable  medical  practice  he  was  violating  the 
law  in  a  manner  which  must  result,  sooner  or  later, 
in  criminal  prosecution.  Of  course  his  further  atten- 
tions were  declined. 

Dr.  S.  J.  Damon,  of  Massachusetts,  whom  I  made 
acquainted  with  Psychometry  and  Sarcognomy  four 
years  since,  has  applied  both  sciences  in  his  practice 
with  signal  success,  gaining  for  himself  a  very  large 
practice  and  an  enviable  reputation  in  diagnosis, 
prognosis  and  cure  —  a  success  which  he  attributes 
to  his  novel  scientific  instruction. 

In  the  first  week  of  May  last,  a  lady  called  from  a 
distance  with  a  lock  of  hair,  to  obtain  his  psychom- 


Appendix.  87 

etric  opinion.  He  told  her  it  was  from  a  young  lady 
very  low  in  consumption,  and  described  her  general 
appearance — then  announced  that  nothing  could  be 
done  for  her,  but  to  make  her  comfortable,  as  she 
must  die  about  the  twenty-fifth.  The  lady  who  was 
the  mother,  thought  she  would  live  much  longer,  and 
in  reply  Dr.  Damon  said:  "Your  daughter  will  not 
live  until  the  twenty -fifth."  Her  brother  called  soon 
after  her  death,  and  informed  the  doctor  that  she  died 
on  the  evening  of  the  twenty-fourth  at  Wickford,  R.  I. 

In  another  recent  instance  he  was  called  upon  by 
Dr.  G.  with  a  letter  from  his  wife.  Dr.  G.  states  the 
result  in  his  own  language:  "  Dr.  Damon  began  as 
follows  :  '  I  am  taken  away  from  here  to  a  place,' 
giving  a  full  description  of  the  house,  color,  sur- 
roundings, etc.,  also  the  location  of  different  objects 
inside,  together  with  a  little  lame  boy  crawling  about 
upon  the  floor.  Finally  he  saw  my  wife.  After 
describing  her  accurately,  he  told  me  of  all  the 
troubles  of  which  she  had  complained.  He  also  told 
me  I  wrould  move  from  there  to  a  cottage,  giving  a 
perfect  description  of  the  same,  even  to  a  description 
of  the  men  who  were  to  move  us,  every  part  of  which 
was  strictly  true.  This  was  some  weeks  before  we 
moved,  and  the  place  I  had  never  seen  before  I 
moved  into  it." 

A  very  large  volume  might  be  filled  with  such 
illustrations  of  the  intuitive  perception,  or  spiritual 
sight,  and  foresight  of  hundreds  of  psychometric 
physicians  and  teachers  in  this  country  whose  num- 
bers will  soon  be  increased  to  thousands,  whose 
instructive  words  will  rouse  the  torpid  intelligence 
that  has  been  paralyzed  by  the  college  and  the 
church  —  the  reservoirs  of  ancient  ignorance  —  in 
whose  malarious  atmosphere  no  vigorous  free  thought 
can  flourish,  and  whose  hostility  against  any  new 
truth  is  in  proportion  to  its  revolutionary  and  elevat- 
ing power. 


88  Appendix. 

It  would  require  an  eloquent  tongue,  indeed,  to 
portray  the  consequences  to  humanity  when  the 
divine  element  in  man  shall  be  recognized  and 
obeyed  —  when  the  unpardonable  sin  of  striving  to 
repress  the  Holy  Spirit  shall  cease  to  be  repeated, 
and  nations  shall  yield  to  the  guidance  of  the  Divine 
wisdom,  incarnated  in  man,  which  comprehends  the 
future,  and  through  which  the  noble  words:  "THY 
KINGDOM  COME,"  so  .  often  uttered,  unmeaningly, 
shall  come  to  their  fulfilment. 

How  magnificent  the  contrast  between  the  vast 
dark  area  of  ancient  history,  in  which  we  see  nations 
staggering  along  blindly  "into  gulfs  of  destruction, 
making  all  lands  red  with  human  blood,  and  all 
private  life  a  struggle  and  war  between  antagonistic 
purposes,  blindly  pursued,  and  the  enlightened  ages 
to  come,  in  which  the  world  shall  be  at  peace,  society 
in  harmony,  and  all  calamities  averted  by  the  far 
seeing  wisdom  which  comprehends  this  life  and  that 
which  is  to  come.  That  wisdom  shall  guide  and 
harmonize  all  things,  and  one  of  its  most  important 
applications  which  I  have  not  yet  mentioned  (this 
little  volume  being  inadequate  to  doing  justice  to  my 
themes),  is  the  parental  guidance  of  youth. 

THE     DESTINY     OF     THE     YOUNG 

Is"  the  most  important  thought  that  dwells  in  the 
parental  mind.  For  them  we  toil  and  to  them  we 
leave  our  names  and  the  external  fruits  of  our  life 
work,  as  well  as  the  interior  powers  of  our  souls. 
^e  would  fain  know  if  their  feet  are  to  tread  in  paths 
of  honor  or  dishonor,  of  happiness  or  misery,  and  if 
we  can  do  aught  to  determine  their  fate  with  cer- 
tainty. 

Psychometry  gives  this  far  seeing  comprehension, 
and  loving  mothers  by  the  million  will  hereafter  seek 
its  guidance  and  consolation.  The  younger  the  child 


Appendix.  89 

the  more  uncertain  its  parents  must  be  as  to  its  char- 
acter and  destiny,  and  almost  as  uncertain  concerning 
the  discipline  and  direction  that  should  be  adopted. 

Having  received  the  photograph  of  an  interesting 
child,  whose  future  I  wished  to  foresee,  for  the  sake 
of  the  parents,  I  placed  the  picture  in  the  hands  of 
Mrs.  B.,  who,  in  such  cases,  never  sees  the  picture 
but  only  touches  it.  The  following  is  the  impression 
that  she  gave,  and  the  subsequent  life  of  the  boy  cor- 
responds thus  far  with  her  opinions. 

"  I  like  this  influence.  It  brings  a  pleasant  impres- 
sion. It  seems  youthful  —  not  an  advanced  mind. 
It  seems  a  precocious  mind  of  very  strongly  marked 
traits  of  character,  but  the  faculties  are  not  unfolded. 
It  seems  like  a  child. 

"  It  has  a  maturity  we  do  not  often  see  It  has 
the  germ  of  a  distinguished  manhood.  He  seems 
well,  but  not  of  a  robust  organization.  They  will 
have  to  be  careful  not  to  overcrowd  him  in  his 
studies,  and  to  keep  him  back  rather  than  push 
ahead. 

"  There  is  great  amiability  of  disposition,  which 
is  natural  to  him.  He  is  very  sensitive  and  will  suf- 
fer a  great  deal  from  not  being  understood  as  he 
grows  up.  He  is  not  calculated  for  the  rough  and 
tumble  of  life,  but  lives  in  the  interior  —  in  the  spirit. 

"If  he  lives  and  is  not  cramped  or  forced  to  an 
unnatural  position,  he  will  unfold  superior  qualities 
and  be  very  independent.  If  he  has  opportunities, 
he  will  probably  be  a  reformer  in  his  views,  and 
philanthropic.  He  will  be  studious  and  desire  a 
profession  rather  than  a  business  life. 

"  They  must  be  careful  of  this  child  until  he  is 
seven  years  old,  for  his  organism  is  not  strong,  and 
must  not  be  taxed.  His  intellect  is  too  active  for  his 
body.  He  should  be  out  of  doors  to  play  ball  and 
other  games  and  sports  —  not  shut  up  with  a  book. 
He  may  take  a  fancy  to  some  of  the  arts  but  I  do  not 
think  he  would  like  it  as  a  profession, 


90  Appendix. 

"He  has  a  very  spiritual  development  and  religious 
tendency,  but  is  not  likely  to  be  a  clergyman.  If  he 
decides  for  himself,  theology  would  not  be  his  choice. 
I  would  like  to  make  a  statesman  of  him.  He  will 
be  a  good  speaker,  and  would  like  to  understand 
governmental  matters  and  look  deeply  into  all  sub- 
jects. 

"  He  is  not  in  the  least  selfish,  but  is  a  self-reliant 
character  when  left  to  act  for  himself  —  yet  is  liable 
to  yield  too  much  to  the  wishes  of  his  parents.  He 
should  be  thrown  upon  his  own  resources  early  in 
life." 

Such  children  will  often  be  born  when  matrimonial 
unions  are  guided  by  psychometric  wisdom,  and 
when  they  are  placed  under  the  developing  and 
ennobling  influences  of  truly  intellectual,  industrial 
and  love-inspiring  schools,  as  illustrated  in  my  work  : 
"  MORAL  EDUCATION,"  the  world's  redemption  from 
the  ancient  tyranny  of  poverty,  pestilence,  crime  and 
war,  will  be  accomplished.  Science,  wisdom  and 
love  shall  rule  the  world  under  a  smiling  Heaven. 
Until  that  time  arrives,  let  us  pray  by  earnest  labor 
in  diffusing  truth, 

"  THY     KINGDOM     COME. 


Appendix.  91 

[From  the  Medical  Advocate— New  York.] 

Foreign  Reproduction  of  American  Discoveries, 

BY  JOSEPH  RODES  BUCHANAN,  M.  D.,  BOSTON. 

At  the  late  meeting  of  the  French  Association  for 
the  advancement  of  Science,  held  at  Grenoble,  France, 
Drs.  Bourru  and  Burot  presented  a  paper  on  the  action 
of  medicines  which  attracted  much  attention  and  created 
much  surprise.  From  the  accounts  published  in  French 
medical  journals,  it  appears  that  the  experiments  of 
Bourru  and  Burot  illustrate  the  power  of  medicines  to 
affect  the  constitutions  of  sensitives  without  absorption 
and  without  contact. 

The  experiments  reported  by  MM.  Bourru  and 
Burot  were  submitted  to  the  critical  investigation  of 
Dr.  Duprony,  Director  of  the  School  of  Naval  Med- 
ical Officers*at  Rochefort,  where  the  experiments  were 
made,  who  undertook  a  strict  investigation,  aided  by 
the  Professors  of  the  Naval  School  and  Naval  Medical 
Officers.  The  experiments  were  repeated  with  every 
precaution,  and  when  the  paper  above  mentioned 
was  read  before  the  French  Association,  Dr.  Duprony 
endorsed  the  statements  and  referred  to  his  own  ex- 
periments, which  had  been  very  startling  to  him,  and 
which  he  could  not  explain,  though  he  knew  that  no 
assumption  of  fraud  was  in  the  least  admissible. 

The  subjects  of  the  experiments  which  were  per- 
formed in  the  hospital  at  Rochefort  in  1885,  were  a 
young  man  of  twenty-two  years,  and  a  woman  of 
twenty-six — both  of  a  hysteric  or  nervous  organiza- 
tion. The  medicines  used  were  held  a  few  inches  be- 
hind the  patient's  head — the  liquids  contained  in  a  bot- 
tle, and  the  solid  substances  wrapped  in  a  paper  —  the 
patients  knowing  nothing  of  the  nature  of  the  experi- 
ments. The  phenomena  as  summarized  by  Dr.  Myers, 
were  as  follows ; 


92  Appendix. 

"  The  narcotics  all  produced  sleep,  but  each  had 
its  characteristic  features :  Opium  produced  a  heavy 
sleep,  from  which  it  was  difficult  to  rouse  them,  and 
which  left  some  headache  and  weariness  ;  chloral  pro- 
duced a  lighter  sleep ;  morphia  a  sleep  like  that  of 
opium,  which  could  be  made  less  deep  by  the  use  of 
atropine ;  narceine  a  sleep  of  a  peculiar  type,  ac- 
companied by  salivation,  and  ending  in  a  sudden 
waking  to  a  state  of  anxiety  and  distress.  The  sleep 
of  codeia,  thebaine,  and  narcotine  was  accompanied 
by  a  more  or  less  convulsive  movement.  In  the  same 
way,  the  effect  of  each  of  the  emetics  was  character- 
istic :  Apomorphia  produced  profuse  sickness  without 
straining,  followed  by  headache  and  drowsiness  ;  ipe- 
cacuanha lead  to  less  sickness  but  much  salivation, 
and  a  peculiar  taste  in  the  mouth  ;  tartar- emetic  much 
nausea  and  great  depression. 

4 'So,  too,  with  the  alcohols:  Wine  was  followed 
by  jovial  intoxication  ;  amylic  alcohol  by  intoxication 
with  great  violence  ;  aldehyde  by  rapid  and  complete 
prostration,  as  of  dead  drunkenness  ;  absinthe  by  pa- 
ralysis of  the  limbs.  Orange  flower  water  and  cam- 
phor had  a  quieting  action,  producing  natural  sleep. 
The  effects  of  laurel  water  were  unexpected  and  its 
action  in  consequence  was  often  tested,  but  found  to 
be  always  constant  in  each  patient.  In  the  man,  it 
produced  convulsive  movements  of  the  thorax,  spas- 
modic breathing,  salivation,  and  hiccough.  In  the 
woman,  who  was  a  Jewess,  there  was  first  a  religious 
ecstacy,  in  which  she  acted  a  drama  of  adoration, 
prayer,  and  repentance,  which  was  followed  by  spas- 
modic breathing ;  this  was  considered  to  constitute  a 
physiological  analysis  of  the  effects  of  laurel  water. 

"  Valerian  produced  some  bizarre  phenomena  of 
excitement,  as  it  does  in  cats ;  cantharides  a  feeling 
of  burning  in  mucous  surfaces,  which  was  stopped  by 


Appendix.  93 

camphor  ;  veratria  the  symptoms  of  a  cold  in  the  head, 
of  a  congestion  of  the  back  of  the  nose,  and  distur- 
bances of  sight ;  jaborandi  and  pilocarpine  made  the 
patients  sweat,  and  salivated  them.  The  anaesthetics 
were  followed  first  by  excitement,  and  afterward  by 
sleep,  as  in  their  ordinary  surgical  use." 

In  the  verificatipn  of  these  experiments  by  Dr.  Du- 
prony,  an  incident  occurred,  serving  to  show  that  the 
thoughts  of  the  experimenters  had  nothing  to  do  with 
the  production  of  the  effects.  The  professors  were 
present  when  a  gentleman  who  had  two  similar  bottles 
in  his  pocket,  wrapped  in  papers,  containing  one  va- 
lerian and  the  other  cantharides,  held  up  the  bottle  to 
the  patient  which  he  thought  contained  the  canthari- 
des. To  his  surprise,  the  effects  which  belong  to 
valerian  were  produced,  and  then  he  found  that  he 
had  made  a  mistake,  and  was  holding  up  the  bottle  ol 
valerian. 

Drs.  Bourru.and  Burot  tried  a  number  of  other  pa- 
tients, in  many  of  whom  they  found  similar  though 
less  marked  results.  They  are  carrying  on  their  ex- 
periments, and  we  shall  in  time  have  a  full  exposition 
from  them.  They  are  with  their  confreres  quite  puz- 
zled over  these  facts,  and  rather  inclined  to  believe  in 
a  radiant  nerve  force,  forming  a  communication  be- 
tween the  patient  and  the  medicines.  They  are  just 
beginning  to  learn  the  trans-corporeal  powers  of  the 
nervous  system. 

There  is  nothing  in  these  French  experiments,  and 
in  the  metallo-therapie  which  has  made  a  sensation  in 
Paris,  but  what  has  been  understood,  repeated  a 
thousand  times,  and  publicly  taught  in  this  country ,  both 
in  medical  colleges  and  in  popular  lectures,  during  the 
past  forty  years,  except  in  the  particular  method  of 
holding  the  medicines  behind  the  head  of  the  subject, 
which  I  have  not  adopted  in  public,  because  it  would 
merely  have  intensified  that  marvelousness  which  ex- 
cites opposition. 


94  Appendix. 

In  my  recently  published  "Manual  of  Psychome- 
try,"  the  history  of  my  investigations  is  given,  show- 
ing that  in  1841,  after  having  discovered  the  seat  of 
sensibility  in  the  human  brain,  which  I  ascertained  by 
extensive  observations  between  1837  and  1840,  beyond 
all  doubt,  and  which  has  been  more  recently  verified  by 
the  very  remarkable  experiments  of  Professor  Ferrier. 
I  instituted  experiments  upon  the  power  of  human  sen- 
sibity  in  feeling  impressions  from  substances  in  con- 
tact or  proximity. 

These  experiments  established  the  proposition,  that 
in  the  Southern  part  of  the  United  States  a  very  large 
majority  of  the  population  (and  in  some  places  all) 
are  capable  of  feeling  the  medical  influence  of  any 
substance  held  in  the  hands,  or  in  contact  with  the 
person,  although  it  may  be  contained  in  a  bottle 
(if  a  liquid)  or  well  wrapped  and  concealed  in  paper. 

In  large  medical  classes  of  150  or  more  in  number, 
I  have  found  a  majority  to  be  thus  impressible  in  vari- 
ous degrees,  many  being  able  in  five  or  ten  minutes  to 
give  as  accurate  a  description  of  the  effects  of  a  med- 
icine as  if  they  had  taken  a  large  dose  in  the  ordinary 
way. 

In  five  medical  colleges  in  which  I  have  been  en- 

faged  since  1845,  I  have  made  these  things  familiar 
y  instruction  and  by  experiments,  and  have  often 
published  them  in  the  Journal  of  Man,  "System  of 
Anthropology,"  "  Therapeutic  Sarcogriomy,"  "  Man- 
ual of  Psychometry,"  and  liberal  medical  journals. 
Nevertheless,  I  presume  the  French  experimenters 
were  totally  unacquainted  with  such  facts,  for  they  are 
generally  unknown  in  the  majority  of  the  medical 
schools  of  this  country.  This  is  due  to  the  lamentable 
fact  that  the  divisions  produced  by  party  spirit  in  the 
medical  profession  are  as  wide,  and  the  sectarianism  as 
intense  as  that  which  separates  the  numerous  sects  of 
the  Christian  Church  ;  in  consequence  of  which,  knowl- 


Appendix.  95 

edge  developed  in  a  minority  party  is  looked  upon  as  a 
hostile  element,  and  systematically  ignored. 

Belonging  myself  to  a  minority  party  in  the  profes- 
sion, which  cannot  claim  over  ten  thousand  members, 
I  was  assured  by  my  quondam  friend,  the  late  Profes- 
sor S.  D.  Gross  of  Philadelphia,  that  it  would  be  im- 
possible for  any  of  my  discoveries  to  be  looked  at  by 
the  American  Medical  Association,  as  their  code  was 
in  the  way  ;  and  I  have  ever  regarded  it  as  equally 
useless  to  offer  any  statement  of  such  discoveries  to 
medical  journals  attached  to  that  party.  Perhaps  I 
may  have  done  unintentional  injustice  to  some  of  their 
conductors  in  acting  on  this  opinion,  but  I  have  never 
been  disposed  to  offer  my  services  where  they  were 
not  desired.  Nor  shall  I  detail  my  experiments  at 
present,  as  I  have  not  been  invited  by  the  editor  of  the 
Popular  Science  Monthly  to  do  so,  for  I  might  per- 
chance mention  some  facts  a  little  more  marvelous 
than  those  reported  to  the  French  Society  for  the  Ad- 
vancement of  Science,  and  by  them  honorably  re- 
ceived. But  in  this  country,  the  mag'nanimity  of  the 
French  Society  is  not  known  in  high  quarters,  and  the 
announcement  of  a  marvelous  fact  or  discovery  is  the 
most  dangerous  experiment  that  an  American  scientist 
can  make. 

[The  above  is  the  paper  which  was  offered  a  few 
days  since  to  the  Popular  Science  Monthly  and 
promptly  refused,  without  giving  a  reason,  as  no  rea- 
son could  be  given  which  would  look  well  on  paper. 
The  stolid  hostility  to  liberal  scientific  investigation 
which  characterizes  allopathic  medical  journals,  ex- 
tends to  the  Popular  Science  Monthly,  as  it  is  con- 
trolled now  not  by  Professor  E.  L.  Youmans,  but  by 
Dr.  W.  J.  Youmans,  who  belongs  to  the  party  which 
has  ever  been  the  most  stubborn  and  intolerant  foe  of 
progress — the  party  whose  bigotry  so  far  surpasses 
European  intolerance  as  to  have  disgusted  the  profes- 
sion abroad. 


96  Appendix. 

The  refusal  of  medical  societies,  medical  journals, 
and  medical  colleges  of  the  dominant  party  to  exam- 
ine the  simple  and  demonstrable  facts  of  human  impres- 
sibility by  medicines,  shows  as  forcibly  as  anything 
can  the  necessity  of  medical  reform  and  more  honora- 
ble principles  in  the  profession.  j.  R.  B  .] 


PRACTICAL   SUGGESTIONS. 

Concerning  contagion,  medical  diagnosis  and  its  errors  —  Psycho- 
metry  in  daily  life,  in  war,  among  prisoners  —  Prophetic  im- 
pressions— Mme.  Le  Normand — Prophetic  warnings — Predic- 
tions of  war  and  peace  —  Clear  vision  of  the  blind  — 
Descriptions  of  Spurzheim,  Darwin,  Caesar,  and  Diogenes  — 
Psychometric  description  of  animals. 

Since  the  publication  of  the  second  edition  of  the 
Manual  of  Psychometry,  so  many  of  the  aspects  of  this 
subject  appear  to  demand  attention,  that  a  cursory 
glance  in  an  additional  chapter  seems  to  be  required. 
As  to  CONTAGION,  alluded  to  on  pages  64  to  68,  part 
2nd,  the  medical  profession  are  greatly  in  need  of 
psychometric  science,  which  would  show  them  that 
contagion  is  not  a  matter  to  be  estimated,  like  chemi- 
cal affinity,  by  invariable  rules,  but  depends  more  on 
the  temperament  of  the  individual  than  the  character- 
istics of  the  disease.  To  a  sensitive  psychometer  all 
diseases  and  indeed  all  conditions  of  mind  and  body 
may  be  contagious,  for  he  may,  in  investigating  the 
condition  of  a  person  at  a  distance,  without  any  con- 
necting link  (guided  only  by  a  name),  attain  so  close  a 
sympathy  with  his  diseases  as  to  be  injured  by  the 
sympathetic  recognition,  or  so  close  a  sympathy  with 
his  mental  qualities  as  to  be  materially  affected  in  his 
own  nature.  Indeed,  this  is  one  of  the  methods  most 
available  for  psychometric  culture  of  character. 

Hence,  instead  of  a  dogmatic  discussion  whether  a 
disease  is  necessarily  or  invariably  contagious,  it  should 
be  recognized  that  every  disease  exerts  a  pathological 
influence  on  those  who  are  near  the  person,  in  propor- 


98  Appendix. 

tion  to  their  impressibility,  and  hence  that  precautions 
should  be  taken  by  the  sensitive  against  too  close  a 
familiarity  with  diseases  not  recognized  as  contagious, 
for  the  contact  of  the  old,  the  infirm,  the  melancholy, 
and  ill-tempered,  or  even  of  those  feeble  in  mind  or 
body,  has  an  influence  upon  all  who  have  not  a  strong 
resisting  constitution,  while  on  the  other  hand  a  cer- 
tain degree  of  hardihood  and  vital  force  may  render 
even  small-pox  and  the  severest  fevers  incapable  of 
transfer.  There  are  some  whose  constitutions  even  resist 
vaccination. 

The  insensible  contagion  of  character  is  continually 
operating  on  the  young  in  society  and  in  education. 
It  was  well  said  by  President  Garfield  that,  "It  has 
long  been  my  opinion  that  we  are  all  educated,  whether 
children,  men,  or  women,  far  more  by  personal  in- 
fluence than  by  books  and  the  apparatus  of  the  school- 
room. The  privilege  of  sitting  down  before  a  great, 
clear-headed,  large-hearted  man,  and  breathing  the 
atmosphere  of  his  life,  and  being  drawn  up  to  him  and 
lifted  up  by  him,  and  learning  his  methods  of  thinking 
and  living,  is,  in  itself,  an  enormous  educating  power." 

The  same  thing  is  illustrated  by  what  may  be  called 
moral  epidemics,  when  a  rage  for  speculation,  for  war, 
for  mobocracy,  or  f<*r  certain  crimes,  seems  to  be 
diffused  in  society.  Such  facts  led  a  newspaper  editor 
to  say  that  "  Moral  virus  is  just  as  communicable  from 
person  to  person  as  the  virus  of  dysentery  or  yellow 
fever." 

Dr.  T.  D.  Crothers  says :  — 

"  The  delusions  of  the  insane  are  often  projected  one 
to  another,  and  many  instances  are  on  record  of  entire 
families,  otherwise  sane,  who  are  infected  with  the 
delusion  of  some  member  who  is  insane.  The  early 
history  of  many  cases  of  inebriety  affords  striking 
examples  of  mental  contagion.  The  victim  frequents 
bad  company  and  is  influenced  by  inebriates.  Any 
careful  study  of  a  number  of  cases  of  inebriety  will 


Appendix.  99 

show  that  the  causation  came  direct  through  the 
influence  of  another.  Men  previously  temperate  are 
as  positively  affected  by  the  contagion  of  an  inebriate 
as  they  would  be  from  a  germ  of  small-pox." 

The  story  is  told  of  a  young  Spaniard  in  Boston  who 
never  went  to  a  dinner  party  without  becoming  intoxi- 
cated by  "the  fumes  of  the  wine"  and  the  general 
excitement.  All  substances  with  which  we  are  in 
contact,  or  from  which  AVC  receive  odors,  exert  an 
influence.  Those  who  are  engaged  in  manufacturing 
Paris  green  suffer  greatly  from  its  emanations.  At  the 
works  of  the  Hampden  Paint  and  Chemical  Company 
ten  or  a  dozen  were  recently  sick  at  one  time  from  this 
cause.  One  of  those  engaged  in  putting  the  compound 
in  boxes  had  to  go  to  the  hospital  in  Springfield.  The 
manufacture  of  dynamite  is  equally  dangerous.  A  St. 
Louis  newspaper  says :  "  One  of  the  girl  victims  thus 
describes  her  sufferings :  '  The  other  day  a  man  came 
in  here  saying  he  wanted  girls  to  work  on  dynamite. 
Six  of  us  went  to  his  house.  You  take  nitro-gtycerine 
and  something  else,  and  work  it  up  into  a  paste  with 
the  fingers  into  pellets.  Ten  pounds  of  these  pellets 
are  put  into  a  shell  and  sealed  up.  All  I  had  to  do 
was  to  mix  the  paste.  After  a  while  I  noticed  the  girl 
behind  me  growing  pale ;  she  began  to  reel  on  her 
chair  and  grow  faint  and  dizzy.  Presently  she  turned 
to  me  and  said,  "I  guess  I'm  sick,"  and  then  she 
fainted.  I  felt  a  little  queer  myself  after  we  got  out, 
but  kept  on.  Pretty  soon  something  seemed  to  stab 
me  in  both  temples  and  run  like  streaks  of  lightning 
above  my  ears  and  meet  at  the  back  of  my  head,  when 
a  sharp,  splitting  sensation  was  felt.  I  didn't  remem- 
ber anything  more  for  a  while,  but  when  I  came  to,  the 
other  girls  were  around  me  and  we  got  outdoors.' 
The  work  is  being  carried  on  by  a  man  in  Indianapolis 
on  a  Government  contract.  An  experiment  is  to  be 
tried  at  one  of  the  military  stations,  and  an  unusually 
large  order  had  come  in  that  must  be  filled  immed- 


IOO  Appendix. 

iately.  This  compelled  him  to  get  hands  who  were 
new  to  the  work  and  knew  nothing  about  the  results. 
The  girls  were  brave  and  stuck  to  their  business  until 
they  fainted  at  their  posts.  One  girl  describes  her  feel- 
ing a  little  differently  from  the  others:  'There  is  a  terrible 
sinking  feeling,  then  a  pricking  sensation  in  the  fingers 
that  creeps  up  the  arms.  I  thought  my  hands  were 
going  to  sleep.  My  eyes  burned,  and  all  at  once  that 
stab  came  in  the  head.  I  seemed  to  sink  out  of  space, 
and  my  heart  stopped  with  a  jump.' ' 

Either  the  mineral,  vegetable,  or  animal  kingdom 
may  be  the  source  of  influences  affecting  man.  The 
character  of  the  soil  affects  those  who  stand  on  it,  and 
this  keen  sympathy  enables  the  sensitive  to  locate  wells 
by  the  mysterious  use  of  a  divining  rod,  the  power  of 
which  is  due  to  the  sensitive  constitution.  Who  does 
not  feel  the  healthful  influence  of  the  pine  forests. 

Contagion  between  animals  and  man  was  a  subject 
of  discussion  at  a  recent  surgical  congress  in  France, 
and  although  the  contagiousness  of  tetanus  from  horses 
was  not  generally  admitted,  Prof.  Varneuil  of  Paris 
stoutly  maintained  its  truth.  "  He  said  that  human 
beings  are  often  attacked  with  tetanus  when  living 
with  or  near  animals  affected  with  the  disease,  and  the 
disease  is  most  frequent  among  stable  boys,  horse 
dealers,  and  in  general  those  whose  duties  bring  them, 
in  contact  with  horses."  M.  Blanc  of  Bombay 
thought  the  disease  to  be  contagious  and  communicated 
sometimes  through  infected  water.  On  the  other  hand, 
the  communication  of  tuberculosis  from  man  to  fowls 
was  proved  on  a  farm  at  Charenton,  in  France,  where 
the  fowls  became  infected  and  died  from  tubercular 
consumption  after  being  placed  in  charge  of  a  consump- 
tive farm  servant. 

The  contagiousness  of  consumption  is  still  discussed 
by  physicians,  and  opinions  in  France  were  about 
equally  divided.  Those  who  are  devoted  to  germ 
theories  think  it  can  be  contagious  only  by  means  of  the 


Appendix.  IOI 

bacilli  contained  in  the  expectorations  of  patients. 
Undoubtedly  substances  emitted  from  the  consumptive 
carry  contagion  with  them,  but  that  the  contagious 
influence  does  not  depend  solely  on  such  causes  is  well 
known  popularly.  Hence  in  Italy,  where  the  warmth 
of  the  climate  increases  the  force  of  contagion,  it  is 
common  to  burn  the  furniture  of  the  apartment  where 
the  consumptive  has  died.  That  mere  contact  or  prox- 
imity can  in. part  dangerous  pathological  influences 
in  consumption,  I  know  from  my  personal  experience 
as  well  as  the  observation  of  the  sensitive. 

Nothing  shows  more  strikingly  the  communication 
of  disease  by  contact  or  proximity  than  experience 
with  diphtheria.  The  numerous  cases  in  which  conta- 
gion did  not  occur  amount  to  nothing  in  contradicting 
the  evidence  that  when  the  right  susceptibility  exists, 
even  a  momentary  contact,  a  kiss,  an  embrace,  sitting 
in  company,  or  handling  the  clothes  of  the  patient  may 
have  fatal  results.  The  secretary  of  the  State  Board 
of  Health  of  Maine  mentions  some  decisive  cases  in  a 
late  report.  A  young  lady  with  a  mild  attack  of  diph- 
theria was  embraced  by  her  mother  and  sisters  when 
she  came  home,  and  all  took  the  disease  ;  one  died.  No 
other  cases  occurred  in  that  vicinity.  A  child  took  the 
diphtheria  and  died;  the  mother  kissed  the  child,  took 
the  diphtheria,  and  died  within  a  week.  A  school 
teacher  in  a  neighborhood  where  diphtheria  had  not 
been  seen  for  four  years,  visited  a  city  where  it 
existed,  came  home  with  what  he  called  a  slight  sore 
in  the  throat,  opened  school,  and  "in  less  than  a  week 
six  were  lying  ill  with  diphtheria,  and  the  school  was 
closed.  Five  deaths  ensued  —  three  being  adults.  A 
nurse  in  a  family  where  three  children  died  of  diphthe- 
ria refused  to  change  her  clothes  on  going  home.  In 
ten  days  the  diphtheria  was  developed  in  a  fatal  form  in 
her  family.  Such  cases  defy  all  mechanical  explana- 
tion. 

Dr.  E.  McClellan,  of  the  U.  S.  army,  details  three 


102  Appendix. 

cases  where  cholera  was  originated  in  the  United  States 
by  European  emigrants  from  cholera  infected  districts, 
the  disease  appearing  in  a  few  days  after  they  unpacked 
their  clothing  and  baggage.  Although  many  strong 
constitutions  are  able  to  resist  this  influence,  it  is  stated 
by  Dr.  Welch  that  one-fourth  of  the  nurses  employed 
in  the  cholera  hospital  of  Edinburgh,  in  1848-9,  took 
the  disease,  and  from  thirty  to  forty  per  cent,  of  the 
attendants  in  the  cholera  hospital  of  Moscow. 

The  barrier  to  contagion  is  found  in  the  health  and 
vital  force  of  the  subject.  Hence  one  who  does  not 
yield  to  contagion  is  often  the  medium  of  its  transmis- 
sion, especially  in  cases  of  puerperal  fever.  A  Missouri 
physician  stated  in  a  letter  to  the  author :  "  I  had  to 
quit  practising  medicine  on  account  of  the  sensitiveness 
of  my  nervous  system.  You  state  that  magnetic  phy- 
sicians often  suffer  in  that  way.  I  cannot  say  that  I 
suffer  with  the  diseases.  They  only,  so  to  say,  approach 
me,  and  manifest  all  their  symptoms  on  me,  but  always 
yield  at  once  to  the  mind  as  soon  as  I  discover  them, 
and  this  is  the  last  of  the  bad  effect,  so  far  as  I  am  per- 
sonally concerned;  but  I  find  that  the  affliction  remains, 
so  to  say,  a  part  of  my  atmosphere,  and  is  transmitted 
fro  11  me  to  my  wife  and  children  in  a  very  acute  man- 
ner, unless  I  make  a  special  strong  effort  to  throw  it 
off  by  self-manipulation,  changing  clothes,  bathing, 
etc.  I  even  found  that  when  making  preparations  and 
dilutions  of  drugs,"  and  giving  them  to  patients,  he 
realized  their  symptoms.  There  are  not  a  few  who 
realize  the  symptoms  of  their  patients  whenever  they 
concentrate  attention  upon  them,  and  they  who  are  thus 
sensitive  excel  in  diagnosis,  and  if  sufficiently  energetic 
attain  a  high  rank  in  the  profession  by  their  success. 

PSYCHOMETRY   IN  MEDICAL   DIAGNOSIS. 

The  great  importance  and  absolute  necessity  of  Psy- 
chometry  to  guard  against  the  innumerable  errors  in 
medical  diagnosis  may  be  enforced  by  a  brief  reference 


Appendix.  103 

to  mistakes  continually  occurring,  a  fair  account  of 
which  would  require  a  volume.  A  frequent  example 
is  found  in  the  imprisonment  of  persons  on  a  charge 
of  lunacy,  with  the  aid  of  incompetent  or  dishonest 
physicians  —  whom  investigation  proves  to  have  been 
sane.  In  the  remarkable  instance  of  Sylvester  S.  Hall, 
a  builder,  of  Minneapolis,  a  few  weeks  after  his  marriage 
in  August,  1885,  he  was  arrested  on  the  street  as  an 
escaped  lunatic  named  Jones,  from  the  Rochester  In- 
sane Asylum.  Three  men  identified  him.  This  per- 
fectly rational  man  was  detained  in  the  asylum  until 
March  4,  1888,  when  the  examiners  pronounced  him 
sound,  and  he  was  discharged.  Under  the  guidance  of 
Psychometry  such  a  man  would  not  have  been  detained 
a  day. 

There  are  many  diseases  which  are  difficult  of  diag- 
nosis without  the  aid  of  Psychometry.  Sir  Thomas 
Watson  says,  in  his  able  work  on  Practice,  that  the 
diagnosis  of  pericarditis  "has  been  confessedly  uncer- 
tain and  obscure."  Dr.  Bright  (from  whom  Blight's 
disease  takes  its  name)  attended  a  young  man  in  1836 
who  died  in  three  weeks  with  every  appearance  of 
cerebral  disease,  for  which  he  was  treated.  He  was 
"  laboring  under  symptoms  of  severe  chorea,  the  spasms 
being  more  violent  than  ever  seen  in  that  disorder.  In 
a  few  days  the  spasms  assumed  the  character  of  the 
most  violent  convulsions,  his  speech  became  indistinct, 
there  was  difficulty  in  opening  the  mouth,  and  the 
mind  began  to  wander.  The  delirium  gradually  in- 
creased until  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to  put  him 
under  personal  restraint."  Of  course  it  was  treated  as 
cerebral  disease,  but  the  autopsy  proved  that  he  had  a 
perfectly  healthy  brain,  but  there  was  effusion  of  lymph 
on  the  interior  of  the  pericardium  and  slightly  on  its 
exterior,  with  vegetations  on  the  valves  on  the  left  side 
of  the  heart. 

According  to  Dr.  Abercrombie,  pericarditis  may  be 
going  on  rapidly  yet  insidiously,  while  our  attention 


1O4  Appendix. 

is  occupied  by  symptoms  which  have  no  relation  to  it. 
"  This  idea  has  been  illustrated  by  Dr.  Burrows  with 
some  striking  examples  of  this  mistake,  the  disease 
being  referred  exclusively  to  the  brain,  and  the  treat- 
ment thus  directed,  with  fatal  results.  In  one  of 
these  cases,  recorded  by  Dr.  Latham,  occurring  in  St. 
Bartholomew's  Hospital,  all  the  symptoms  led  to  the 
belief  that  the  brain  was  inflamed.  The  whole  force  of 
the  treatment  was  therefore  directed  to  that  organ. 
The  woman  died,  and  upon  dissection  the  brain  and  its 
coverings  were  found  in  a  perfectly  healthy  and  natural 
state,  arid  the  pericardium,  towards  which  during  life 
there  was  no  symptom  to  induce  the  slightest  suspicion 
of  disease,  exhibited  unequivocal  marks  of  acute  in- 
flammation." This  was  a  young  woman.  In  another 
case,  a  woman  of  forty  was  admitted  into  the  same 
hospital,  "suffering  under  slight  delirium,  fever,  and 
other  symptoms  of  an  inflammatory  affection  of  the 
brain,  and  did  not  present  a  single  symptom  referable 
to  the  heart.  She  sank  in  about  four  days  after  admis- 
sion. -  No  disease  was  found  in  the  brain  or  its  mem- 
branes ;  the  free  surfaces  of  the  pericardium  were 
coated  with  thick  honeycomb  lymph,  which  had  evi- 
dently been  effused  within  a  few  days  previous  to  her 
death." 

Dr.  E.  B.  Foote  of  New  York  says:  "I  knew  of 
two  cases  within  the  past  two  years  wherein  one  of  the 
most  prominent  surgeons  in  New  York  operated  for 
ovarian  cyst  when  no  such  difficulty  existed,  and  both 
patients  died !  I  know  of  another  case  in  which  a  gen- 
tleman, formerly  on  Gen.  Fremont's  staff,  was  said  to 
have  stone  in  the  kidney  by  several  of  the  best  diag- 
nosticians of  the  old  school  in  this  city.  One  who  is 
contemptuously  called  a  quack  told  the  major  that  his 
trouble  was  neuralgia  of  the  kidney  rather  than  stone, 
but  he  was  not  disposed  to  accept  this  opinion  when  it 
was  so  contrary  to  that  of  the  so-called  lights  of  the 
profession.  So  he  went  into  a  hospital,  and  a  skilful 


Appendix.  105 

surgeon  cut  down  deep  to  reach  the  kidney.  The  kid- 
ney was  to  be  removed !  On  reaching  it,  however,  it 
was  found  to  be  sound !  It  contained  no  stone,  and 
the  surgeon  closed  the  wound,  and  fortunately  the 
victim  of  this  regular  practice  had  the  vitality  to  re- 
cover from  his  hazardous  operation  ! 

Dr.  Gentry  of  Kansas  City  has  related  the  case  of  a 
lady  who  was  treated  three  weeks  for  what  the  physi- 
cian called  malarial  fever,  without  any  improvement, 
notwithstanding  his  massive  doses  of  quinine.  Another 
physician  then  treated  her  over  a  month  for  typhoid 
malarial  fever.  The  lady  did  not  believe  she  had  a 
fever,  and  next  called  in  Dr.  G.,  who  decided  that  her 
only  trouble  was  displacement  of  the  womb,  from  which 
his  treatment  relieved  her  in  three  days. 

Such  are  a  few  of  the  enormous  blunders  made  by 
those  who  have  no  psychometric  perception. 

The  psychometric  power  reaches  conditions  which 
defy  all  diagnosis  from  exterior  symptoms,  and  gives  a 
delicate  perception  of  conditions  which  cannot  be  ex- 
pressed in  words  or  taught  by  professors.  I  might 
refer  to  an  eminent  physician,  who  rose  into  the  highest 
rank  as  a  practitioner  in  a  few  years  by  his  psychometric 
skill,  and  has  at  this  time  the  largest  practice  in  this 
country.  His  psychometric  power  is  such  that,  at  the 
first  interview  with  a  patient,  he  describes  his  disease 
in  a  very  thorough  manner  without  asking  a  question, 
and  determines  what  can  be  done  by  remedies. 

It  is  not  only  in  the  medical  profession,  but  in  every 
department  of  life  where  human  energy  is  struggling 
with  more  or  less  unknown  elements,  that  psychometry 
gives  a  power  to  penetrate  the  region  of  dim  uncertain- 
ties, and  thus  conquer  difficulties  otherwise  unconquer- 
able. The  financial  speculator,  the  gambler,  the  poli- 
tician, the  warrior,  the  traveller,  the  lover,  and  the 
manager  of  men  in  every  sphere  are  indebted  for  their 
greatest  successes  to  this  power,  which  guides  them  in 
the  most  difficult  crises.  It  was  this  intuitive  power 


106  Appendix. 

of  grasping  the  entire  situation  which  constituted  the 
superiority  of  General  Grant.  Lord  Wolseley,  in  writing 
of  great  commanders,  ascribes  their  greatest  success  to 
the  power  of  understanding  and  penetrating  the  de- 
signs or  condition  of  the  enemy — a  faculty  in  which 
General  McClellan,  notwithstanding  his  tactical  ability, 
was  deficient. 

Men  of  marvellous  careers  are  generally  men  of  pys- 
chometric  genius.  General  Gordon  was  one.  Senor 
Castelar  said  of  him  :  "  Gordon,  the  Chinese,  the  Egyp- 
tian, the  Nubian,  the  Abyssinia,  the  merchant,  the  war- 
rior, the  visionary,  the  clairvoyant,  the  strange  being, 
admired  and  marvelled  at  for  his  great  abilities  and 
his  extraordinary  exploits,  is  the  greatest  type  of  origi- 
nality among  the  Saxon  races."  When  he  departed  for 
Egypt,  it  was  with  a  presentiment  that  he  would  not 
return. 

Wherever  there  is  a  necessity  for  discovering  what 
the  senses  cannot  reach,  the  intuitive  faculty  is  forced 
into  operation.  Thus  do  the  Indian  chief  and  medi- 
cine man  learn  the  designs  and  condition  of  their 
enemies.  It  is  stated  by  the  missionary,  Rev.  Dr.  S.  li. 
Riggs,  in  "  Forty  Years  with  the  Sioux,"  that  one  of 
the  Indians  named  Eagle  Help  was  accustomed  to  act 
as  a  war  prophet.  After  fasting,  prayer,  and  a  peculiar 
dance,  he  would  have  a  vision  of  his  enemies,  seeing 
the  whole  panorama  where  the  hostile  Ojibwas  were 
situated,  in  canoes  or  on  the  land. 

In  the  State  Prison  of  Indiana,  according  to  the 
attorney-general  and  officers  of  the  prison,  there  is  as 
complete  a  system  of  mysterious  intelligence  as  that 
which  has  astonished  the  English  in  India.  The 
Indianapolis  Journal  says :  — 

"  Incidents  that  must  necessarily  follow  from  inter- 
communication often  happen  in  penitentiaries  where  the 
rules  are  rigid  and  surveillance  so  close  that  a  convict 
is  never  from  under  the  eye  of  a  guard  or  taskmaster. 
No  matter  to  what  extreme  the  rule  prohibiting  con- 


Appendix.  107 

versation  between  convicts  may  be  enforced,  they  find 
some  means  by  which  to  inform  themselves  of  what  is 
going  on  or  what  is  to  occur.  But,  more  than  this,  a 
convict  may  conceive  the  idea  of  escape  or  revolt,  and 
for  him  to  communicate  it  to  one  he  wishes  to  have  as 
an  accomplice  is  not  difficult.  They  bring  others  into 
the  plot  or  plan  until  twenty  or  thirty  know  it,  details 
for  the  carrying  out  of  which  each  is  assigned  his  par- 
ticular part.  This  necessitates  a  thorough  explanation 
of  minutise,  and  calls  for  a  system  of  communication  for 
which  a  limited  use  of  signs  would  not  answer.  The 
system,  whatever  it  is,  involves,  no  doubt,  an  elaboration 
of  signs,  aided,  whenever  chance  offers  the  means,  by 
written  communication.  The  secret  use  of  the  latter 
means  for  expressing  ideas  and  purposes  will  not  answer 
for  the  completeness  of  information  convicts  obtain  of 
what  takes  place  in  prison  walls,  for,  whether  anything 
occurs  iii  the  office  or  the  most  distant  part  of  the 
prison,  within  fifteen  minutes  there  is  not  a  convict  who 
does  not  know  all  about  it.  Penitentiary  officials  have 
tried  again  and  again  to  obtain  even  a  clue  to  the  sys- 
tem, but  they  are  no  nearer  a  solution  than  when  they 
first  began  to  investigate  the  matter.  They  know  there 
is  a  system,  and  that  it  rests  on  signs,  but  whether  on 
those  made  with  fingers,  eyes  and  lips,  or  the  bringing 
into  play  of  other  features,  or  whether  it  depends  on 
all  together,  they  do  not  know.  Prisoners,  to  curry 
favor  with  the  officials,-  often  tell  them  what  they  have 
learned  from  other  convicts.  They  go  to  the  especial 
trouble  at  times  in  exposing  plots,  and  are  ready  to 
reveal  everything  except  the  means  by  which  they 
learned  the  facts.  No  convict  has  yet  given  the  slight- 
est suggestion  which  would  lead  to  the  discovery  of  the 
secret  that  has  defied  the  shrewdest  detectives.  fc  I 
have  seen,'  said  an  ex-prison  official,  '  two  convicts, 
six  feet  apart,  facing  each  other.  They  did  not  utter 
a  word,  nor  could  I  discern  the  slightest  movement  of 
the  lips  or  eyes,  yet  I  knew  they  were  communicating 


io8  Appendix. 

something.  They  gazed  at  each  other  for  a  moment 
or  two  before  I  had  a  chance  to  interfere,  but  I  am 
satisfied  that  one  told  the  other  all  he  wished  to  tell.' 

"  Attorney-general  Michener  relates  an  incident  or 
two  showing  the  perfection  to  which  the  convicts  have 
carried  their  system  of  conveying  information  among 
themselves.  On  his  first  visit  to  Jeffersonville,  to  look 
into  the  matter  of  Jack  Howard's  shortcoming  as  warden 
of  the  Southern  prison,  he  was  sitting  in  the  office  of 
the  prison  one  afternoon,  wThen  the  deputy  warden  or 
some  other  subordinate  asked  him  if  he  did  not  wish 
to  go  through  the  shops.  It  was  something  he  did  not 
expect  to  do,  but,  accepting  the  invitation,  they  passed 
through  the  inner  gates,  crossing  the  first  cell-rooms, 
out  into  the  court-yard  and  across  that  directly  to  the 
shoe  factory.  They  were  not  three  minutes  in  going, 
nor  did  they  stop  anywhere  until  they  reached  the 
factory.  The  attorney-general  had  gone  but  a  few  feet 
into  the  room  with  the  prison  officers  when  a  convict 
stepped  up,  and,  asking  the  latter  if  he  could  speak  to 
the  gentleman  with  him,  said,  on  permission  being  given 
him:  — 

" 4  You  are  the  attorney-general  ? ' 

"  '  Yes,'  was  the  only  reply  of  that  officer. 

" '  Your  name  is  Michener  ? ' 

"  '  Yes  ;  but  how  do  you  know  that  ?  I  have  never 
seen  you  before.' 

" 4  That  is  true,  nor  did  I  ever  see  you  until  now, 
although  I  am  from  Shelby  county.' 

"  He  then  went  on  to  tell  who  he  was,  where  he  lived 
in  the  county,  and  what  he  had  done  to  bring  him  into 
the  penitentiary.  But  the  convict  gave  the  attorney- 

feneral  further  cause  for  wonder  by  telling  him  that  he 
new  of  his  reaching  the  city  the  day  before,  how  many 
visits  he  had  made  to  the  prison,  and  for  what  purpose. 
"Leaving  the  shoe  factory  the  attorney -general  and 
prison  officer  went  into  another  room,  separated  from 
the  first  by  an  intervening  room,  and  with  neither  of 


Appendix.  109 

which  could  any  person  in  the  third  have  direct  com- 
munication. Here  Mr.  Michener  was  approached  by 
another  convict,  who  told  him  about  what  the  first  had 
done,  except  he  asked  him  to  see  the  governor  in  his 
behalf.  Going  to  the  foundry,  which  is  a  considerable 
distance  from  the  shoe  factory,  the  third  convict  came 
up  to  the  attorney-general  the  instant  he  entered  the 
room.  This  man  had  the  identity  of  the  visitor  and  the 
cause  of  his  coming  to  Jeffersoriville  as  accurately  as 
the  other  two.  He  also  wanted  a  pardon.  On  their 
way  to  another  building  the  prison  officials  said  to  Mr. 
Michener :  4  Every  convict  who  cared  to  know  had  all 
information  about  who  you  are  and  why  you  have  come 
within  a  few  minutes  after  you  came  inside  of  the 
prison  door.  The  convicts  have  no  privilege  of  writing 
or  speaking  to  each  other,  but  so  perfect  is  their  system 
of  communicating  with  each  other  that  in  forming 
plans  to  escape  they  can  agree  on  time,  leaders,  meth- 
ods, and  signals.  But  there  is  always  some  convict 
who,  though  ^iot  in  the  plot,  learns  all  about  it,  and 
tells  the  details  to  the  officers.  Investigation  always 
brings  to  light  enough  incidents  to  convince  us  that 
their  plans  are  being  formed  constantly.  Just  after 
Warden  Patton  took  charge  three  plans  of  uniting 
were  discovered  and  thwarted  in  one  day.' 

"  An  ex-prison  official  said  recently  :  4  Not  long  ago 
I  took  a  convict  to  Michigan  City.  I  reached  the 
prison  about  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening,  after  all  the 
convicts  had  been  locked  up  in  their  cells.  No  one 
knew  of  rny  being  there  but  the  officer  in  charge  at 
that  time  of  night.  I  did  not  stay  longer  than  five 
minutes,  but  turning  over  my  prisoner  I  went  to  the 
hotel  and  to  bed.  When  I  came  down  to  breakfast 
the  next  morning,  there  was  a  messenger  from  the 
prison  stating  that  such  and  such  a  convict  wanted  to 
see  me.  A  half-dozen  in  all  wished  to  have  me  come 
out  to  them.  How  they  knew  I  was  there  nobody 
knows.  Prison  officials  are  constantly  seeing  the  effects 


I IO  Appendix. 

of   communication     among    the    convicts,    but    cannot 
detect  the  system.'  ' 

The  wide  diffusion  of  such  powers  in  the  human 
race  is  not  suspected  nor  can  its  existence  be  known 
while  our  existing  systems  of  education  teach  men  to 
deny  with  dogmatic  insolence  all  facts  which  transcend 
their  meagre  and  stolid  conceptions  of  philosophy. 
Even  if  a  psychometric  fact  is  admitted  as  undeniable, 
it  is  passed  by  with  as  little  serious  thought  as  the 
ignorant  rustic  has  in  seeing  a  galvanic  battery  which 
he  could  not  distinguish  from  the  apparatus  of  a  jug- 
gler. Jas.  T.  Fields,  in  his  biographical  notes,  speaking 
of  the  talented  young  poet  Forceythe  Willson,  whom  I 
taught  to  exercise  the  psychometric  faculty,  says, 
"  Willson  had  the  singular  power  of  reading  character 
by  the  touch  of  manuscript.  There  was  something 
weird  at  times  in  his  presence  and  conversation."  So 
wonderful  a  fact  as  this  is  mentioned  by  Mr.  Fields 
with  as  much  indifference  as  any  trivial  personal  ac- 
complishment. In  the  same  frivolous  way  Bayard  Tay 
lor  told  of  an  artist  in  New  York,  who  had  a  wonder- 
ful psychometric  power,  and  whom  a  friend  induced  to 
give  a  very  wonderful  description  of  character  from  a 
letter  held  in  his  hands.  The  letter  was  written  by 
the  artist  himself,  and  the  description  was  so  forcible 
that  the  friend  never  informed  him  that  he  had  been 
describing  himself.  The  utter  neglect  and  indifference 
with  which  marvellous  facts  are  generally  received 
which  contain  in  themselves  a  volume  of  philosophy 
reminds  us  forcibly  of  casting  pearls  before  swine. 

A  volume  might  be  filled  with  illustrations  of  the 
psychometric  experiences  which  occur  to  thousands  in 
daily  life.  A  correspondent  in  India  writes  to  me, 
"Since  a  few  months  I  am  in  the  daily  habit  of  getting 
two  or  three  involuntary  impressions  of  persons  who 
are  about  to  visit  me,  who  do  meet  me  a  few  minutes 
after  the  impressions.  Sometimes  I  am  walking  at 
leisure  or  at  random,  say  just  for  the  pleasure  of  a 


Appendix.  1 1 1 

walk  in  a  public  street  of  the  city.  I  am  thinking  of 
nothing  particular.  All  on  a  sudden  the  image  of  some 
person  springs  up  in  my  imagination,  and  after  three, 
four,  or  five  minutes,  I  see  that  man.  Sometimes  I  am 
sitting  in  my  office  doing  my  own  ordinary  business. 
All  of  a  sudden  the  image  of  some  client  or  some  other 
person  appears  in  my  imagination.  A  few  minutes 
afterward  the  real  person  comes  over  to  me." 

Such  phenomena  are  an  infinitesimal  part  of  that 
foreseeing  faculty  which  belongs  in  some  degree  to  all 
mankind,  and  even  to  animals,  being  so  remarkable 
among  birds  that  their  actions  are  generally  accepted 
as  indications  of  the  changes  of  the  weather. 

In  all  ages  there  have  been  persons  who  could  pene- 
trate the  character  and  condition  of  others^Dr  divine 
their  future  with  as  much  skill  as  Zchokke,  the  Ger- 
man author,  but  owing  to  the  scorn  with  which  the 
marvellous  has  always  been  treated  by  animal  men 
(except  when  under  the  sanction  of  the  church),  such 
powers  have  not  been  cultivated  or  exercised  among 
the  influential  and  fashionable  classes,  but  have  been 
left  for  gypsies  and  eccentric  individuals. 

The  most  gifted  of  this  intuitional  class  since  the  time 
of  the  Sibylline  oracles  was  Mme.  Le  Normand  of 
Paris,  whose  intuitions  and  predictions  were  treated 
with  respect  by  royal  families.  The  reputation  she 
acquired  must  have  been  based  upon  a  real  intellectual 
power,  for  Bonaparte  and  the  allied  sovereigns  could 
not  have  been  influenced  by  a  mere  pretender.  She 
was  a  natural  somnambulist,  and  early  in  life  was 
regarded  as  an  oracle  by  an  abbey  of  Benedictine 
monks  and  presented  to  Bishop  Grinaldi  as  one  super- 
naturally  inspired.  At  the  age  of  17,  she  predicted 
the  downfall  and  destruction  of  the  French  monarchy 
when  the  States-General  had  been  convoked.  She 
made  many  wonderful  and  true  predictions  to  Murat, 
Lefebre  and  Gen.  Hoche,  to  Robespierre  and  St.  Just, 
to  the  Princess  de  Lamballe  and  Mile,  de  Montpensier, 


112  Appendix. 

to  Josephine  and  M.  de  Beauharnais.  In  predicting 
the  divorce  of  Josephine  she  roused  the  anger  of  Na- 
poleon, who  imprisoned  her  while  he  carried  out  her 
prophecy.  Mme.  Le  Nonnancl  enjoyed  great  popular- 
ity and  was  visited  by  authors,  statesmen,  warriors,  and 
people  of  the  highest  rank.  Her  predictions  of  the 
deaths  of  Murat,  Robespierre,  and  St.  Just  were  very 
remarkable ;  but  still  more  remarkable  was  her  predic- 
tion for  Mile,  de  Montpensier,  who  was  expected  to  be 
guillotined  the  next  day,  to  whom  she  predicted  a  long 
life.  The  life  endured  for  a  century. 

But  alas,  what  effects  do  marvellous  facts  like  these 
have  upon  the  pedants  of  the  colleges  who  repeat  the 
inanities  of  text  books  of  so-called  philosophy  from 
century  to^eentury,  learning  nothing  from  nature.  No 
professor  of  philosophy  recognizes  the  prophetic 
faculty  of  the  human  mind,  and  even  if  it  had  been 
recognized,  no  physiologist  would  seek  for  its  founda- 
tion in  the  brain. 

And  yet  there  is  a  great  abundance  of  prophetic 
facts  unknown  because  they  are  consigned  to  oblivion 
at  once.  The  multitude  do  not  want  such  facts,  and 
quietly  get  rid  of  them.  The  collision  between  the 
Oceania  and  Chester  on  the  Pacific  coast  was  distinctly 
predicted  by  Mrs.  S.  S.  Messer  of  San  Francisco.  She 
made  the  prediction  on  three  different  occasions  to 
different  parties.  H.  T.  states  in  the  Crolden  Gate 
that  "  during  the  first  part  of  April  Mrs.  Messer  was 
at  my  home ;  my  da  lighters  were  talking  of  taking  a 
trip  they  were  then  contemplating  taking  to  Eureka, 
on  the  Chester,  when  Mrs.  Messer  interrupted  them  by 
saying,  "  Don't  go  on  that  steamer,  for  I  see  she  is  going 
to  meet  with  a  terrible  accident,  when  the  people  will 
be  panic-stricken." 

On  the  26th  of  July  she  said  again,  "I  see  that  the 
Oceania  is  to  meet  with  an  accident  coming  into  this 
port."  "At  the  same  sitting  she  saw  a  great  distur- 
bance in  Japan,  as  though  from  an  earthquake.  I  ex- 


Appendix.  113 

pressed  some  alarm,  as  I  have  friends  in  Yokohama. 
She  assured  me  there  was  no  cause  of  anxiety,  as  it  was 
to  the  northwest  of  there.  This  was  of  course  the 
recent  volcanic  eruption." 

"  To  the  lady  and  gentleman  above  mentioned  she 
gave  a  more  perfect  account  of  the  collision,  which 
was  given  to  them  separately,  and  all  within  a  few 
days  of  each  other.  She  distinctly  saw  a  steamer 
coming  into  port ;  said  it  was  the  Oceania.  Then  her 
attention  was  directed  to  another  steamer  going  out, 
and  gave  an  accurate  description  of  the  collision;  but 
the  smaller  steamer  which  the  Oceania  ran  into  sank 
so  quickly  she  could  only  see  that  her  iiame  com- 
menced with  "  C ;"  also  that  a  number  of  lives  would 
be  lost." 

A  similar  prediction  of  disaster  to  a  ship  sailing  from 
San  Francisco  was  publicly  made  by  John  Slater  in 
that  city,  in  1887,  and  was  so  promptly  fulfilled  as  to 
cause  a  great  sensation  and  much  newspaper  discussion. 

A  few  years  ago  an  English  lady  had  engaged  pas- 
sage to  the  United  States.  An  English  seer,  Mr.  Taft, 
was  impelled  to  tell  her  not  to  go  on  that  vessel,  as  it 
would  never  reach  its  port  and  all  on  board  would  be 
lost.  The  lady  postponed  her  passage,  and  the  ship 
was  lost.  Why  was  such  a  loss  of  life  inevitable  ? 
Because  mankind  are  not  yet  sufficiently  enlightened 
to  understand  the  value  of  the  prophetic  faculty.  Had 
Mr.  Taft  warned  the  ship  captain  he  would  have  been 
laughed  at  or  suspected  of  lunacy. 

Hundreds  of  prophetic  presentiments  of  death  have 
been  published.  In  June,  1887,  Mr.  John  W.  Brock- 
way,  of  Hadlyme,  Conn.,  who  had  nearly  lost  his  voice 
by  pulmonary  consumption,  was  near  his  end.  At  eight 
o'clock  the  evening  before  his  death  he  started  into 
wakefulness  and  said,  "  I  shall  die  to-morrow  morning 
at  six  o'clock."  He  died  at  that  time.  About  forty 
years  ago  General  Bern,  of  Hungary,  announced  the 
date  of  his  own  death,  having  had  a  prevision  of  his 


1 1 4  Appendix. 

tombstone  with  the  date  inscribed  upon  it.  I  published 
liis  presentiment  in  the  Journal  of  Man,  and  recollect 
that  it  was  afterwards  fulfilled. 

A  liberal  clergyman  may  sometimes  reach  a  "recogni- 
tion of  such  facts,  as  Bishop  Thompson  of  Mississippi, 
in  one  of  his  able  discourses  spoke  of  "  that  subtle 
force,  that  inner  sense,  which,  acting  independent  of 
eye  or  ear,  will  one  day  be  the  means  of  communication 
of  souls." 

These  exalted  phenomena  are  much  nearer  to  the 
sphere  of  religion  than  to  that  of  modern  science. 
One  of  the  strangest  examples  of  a  verified  premoni- 
tion belongs  to  the  history  of  Universalism.  Rev. 
John  Murray,  the  pioneer  or  founder  of  American 
Universalism,  had  from  grief  abandoned  the  English 
pulpit,  and  on  a  voyage  from  New  York  to  Boston  was 
accidentally  carried  to  Cranberry  Inlet,  and  there  fell 
in  with  a  prosperous  farmer  named  Potter,  who  offered 
his  hospitality.  This  man  had  built  a  church,  and 
waited  long  in  expectation  that  God  would  send  him  a 
suitable  preacher.  He  said  to  Murray,  "  Come,  my 
friend,  I  am  glad  you  have  returned.  I  am  glad  to  see 
you.  I  have  been  expecting  you  a  long  time." 
tb  What  do  you  mean,"  said  Murray.  The  farmer 
sketched  his  life,  his  peculiar  ideas  of  religion,  and 
building  a  church,  of  which  he  said  to  his  neighbors, 
"  God  will  send  me  a  preacher,  and  of  a  very  different 
stamp  from  those  who  have  heretofore  preached  in  my 
house.  The  preachers  we  have  heard  are  perpetually 
contradicting  themselves,  but  that  God  who  has  put  it 
into  my  heart  to  build  this  house  will  send  one  who 
shall  deliver  unto  me  his  own  truth,  who  shall  speak  of 
Jesus  Christ  and  his  salvation."  My  neighbors  assured 
me  I  should  never  see  a  preacher  whose  sentiments 
corresponded  with  my  own.  My  friends  often  ask  me 
where  is  the  preacher  of  whom  you  spoke,  and  my 
constant  reply  has  been,  he  will  by  and  by  make  his 
appearance.  The  moment  I  beheld  your  vessel  ashore, 


Appendix.  1 1 5 

it  seemed  as  if  a  voice  had  audibly  sounded  in  my  ears, 
"  There,  Potter,  in  that  vessel  cast  away  on  that  shore, 
is  the  preacher  you  have  been  so  long  expecting."  I 
heard  the  voice  and  I  believed  the  report,  and  when  you 
came  up  to  my  door  and  asked  for  the  fish,  the  same 
voice  seemed  to  repeat,  "  Potter,  this  is  the  man,  this 
is  the  person  whom  I  have  sent  to  preach  in  yo in- 
house." 

Murray  strongly  opposed  the  invitation,  but  was 
pressed  into  the  service,  and  became  the  founder  of  the 
Universalist  church  in  this  country. 

It  is  with  me  a  matter  of  common  and  frequent  ex- 
perience to  observe  the  operation  of  the  prophetic 
faculty  in  Mrs.  Buchanan.  In  the  Journal  of  Man 
I  published  her  prophetic  views  of  the  European  war 
which  was  anticipated  by  the  leaders  of  public  opinion 
in  1887  and  the  beginning  of  1888.  In  January,  1887, 
our  German  minister,  Pendleton,  said:  "  The  powers  of 
Europe,  from  a  general  feeling  of  insecurity,  have  been 
making  immense  preparations."  A  dispatch  from 
Berlin  said  that  Herr  von  Tisza's  statement  in  the  Lower 
House  of  the  Hungarian  Diet  "  confirmed  the  convic- 
tion that  war  between  Austria  and  Russia  is  accepted  by 
both  sides  as  inevitable."  A  dispatch  from  London, 
January,  1887,  to  the  Sun  said,  "  France  and  Germany 
are  looked  upon  as  certain  to  lead  off  the  ball,  and 
Germany,  it  is  generally  thought,  will  take  the  initia- 
tive." Feb.  4th  a  London  dispatch  said :  "  Europe  is 
once  more  in  the  agonies  of  a  war  scare."  Feb.  5th 
a  Paris  dispatch  to  the  Herald  said :  "  The  certainty 
of  war  between  the  two  hereditary  enemies  of  either 
side  of  the  Rhine  is  as  certain  as  anything  can  be." 
In  a  despatch  from  Madrid,  Feb.  7,  Senor  Castelar  was 
represented  as  saying  in  a  speech  that  war  between 
Russia  and  Germany  was  inevitable.  Feb.  10th  the 
Buda-PestJi  Journal  urged  Austria  to  attack  Russia 
first  because  war  was  -inevitable.  Feb.  12th  the  news 
came  from  St.  Petersburg  that  the  German  colonists  in 


Ii6  Appendix. 

the  Caucasus  had  been  notified  to  hold  themselves  in 
readiness  to  return  to  Germany  and  join  the  reserves. 
Military  preparations  were  actively  going  on  and  the 
anticipations  of  war  increasing.  Mr.  Beck,  in  the 
American  Senate,  referred  to  a  speech  of  Count  von 
Moltke  before  the  German  Reichstag  to  show  that  "  war 
was  inevitable."  It  is  needless  to  add  to  these  records 
of  alarms  at  that  time  and  subsequently,  throughout 
the  whole  of  which  the  psychometric  impressions  of  Mrs. 
Buchanan  firmly  maintained  the  continuance  of  peace, 
though  war  was  spoken  of  as  inevitable  by  such  as  Gen. 
Wolseley  of  England. 

I  did  not  record  all  her  impressions,  but  in  January, 
1888,  I  recorded  her  opinion,  "  from  the  present  stand- 
point of  the  public  it  looks  as  if  a  disturbance  was 
intended,  but  there  will  be  a  failure  for  the  purpose  is 
not  warrantable.  There  is  no  sufficient  cause  and 
there  will  not  be  war,  notwithstanding  the  preparations. 
There  may  be  threats  or  demonstrations,  but  I  do 
not  see  any  bloody  fighting.  There  is  a  growing 
internal  discord  among  the  people  of  Russia.  It  will 
not  result  in  war,  though  there  might  be  some  uprising 
of  the  people  against  the  government,  and  some  con- 
cessions will  be  made  to  quiet  the  people.  Germany 
will  be  quiet  this  year.  The  emperor  will  live  beyond 
the  people's  expectation.  The  Crown  Prince  has  a  very 
strong  constitution,  but  will  not  be  able  to  throw  off  his 
disease.  The  future  of  Germany  promises  a  less  tyran- 
nical or  more  democratic  administration.  European 
governments  generally  will  be  ameliorated  and  more 
in  sympathy  with  the  people." 

In  September,  1888,  I  gave  in  the  Journal  of  Man 
the  following  application  of  Psychometry  to  the  ques- 
tion of  peace  or  war  : — 

WAR   OB  PEACE?   VOICE  OF  PSYCHOMETRY. 

The  German  Emperor,  the  conciliatory  Frederick, 
has  passed  away,  according  to  the  psychometric  pre- 


Appendix.  117 

diction  of  Mrs.  Buchanan,  four  months  ago,  that  he 
would  not  last  beyond  the  early  portion  of  the  summer. 
How  utterly  worthless  was  the  diagnosis  of  the  fash- 
ionable English  surgeon,  Sir  Morell  Mackenzie,  who 
receives  a  princely  income  for  his  blundering  opinions. 

The  accession  of  Emperor  William  revives  the  Euro- 
pean war  scare.  The  brilliant  quidnuncs  who  send 
dispatches  across  the  Atlantic,  the  generals  who  look 
on  the  pessimistic  and  dangerous  aspect  of  events,  and 
the  American  politicians,  guided  by  the  newspapers 
mainly,  have  repeatedly  anticipated  war  in  Europe, 
when  the  wiser  voice  of  psychometry,  through  Mrs. 
Buchanan,  pronounced  it  impossible;  and  the  procla- 
mation of  the  new  Emperor  has  renewed  their  appre- 
hensions. 

To-day,  June  20,  the  war  scare  has  arisen  in  force, 
and  to  judge  of  its  value,  I  submitted  the  new  Emperor 
to  the  searching  psychometric  investigation  of  Mrs. 
B.,  who  touches  without  seeing,  and  pronounces  without 
knowing,  the  object  described.  The  following  were 
her  expressions,  accurately  reported  :  — 

"  This  is  a  public  character.  It  is  not  one  I  know 
much  about.  He  seems  a  foreigner.  There  is  some- 
thing in  the  character  that  is  stubborn.  I  cannot  say 
I  admire  him.  There  is  a  good  deal  of  pomposity  and 
love  of  power.  He  feels  his  dignity  wonderfully.  He 
has  been  looking  forward  to  his  position  for  a  long 
while.  I  feel  that  this  man  has  a  great  amount  of  self- 
importance,  and  would  hot  take  any  insult  or  any 
dictation  from  anybod}'.  He  wants  his  own  ideas  and 
ways  in  everything.  I  can't  help  thinking  this  must 
be  the  new  Emperor.  [No  matter ;  give  his  character.] 
He  will  endeavor  to  have  the  people  feel  that  he  is 
their  friend,  but  there  is  a  great  deal  of  aristocracy 
about  him.  I  think  his  policy  is  peace,  but  he  will  not 
stand  any  menacing  talk  from  other  nations.  He  has 
fight  in  him,  and  has  a  very  peculiar,  arrogant  nature. 
He  is  not  as  good  as  the  Prince  of  Wales,  There  will 


1 1 8  Appendix. 

be  a  sputtering  for  a  while,  and  a  great  deal  of  dissatis- 
faction with  him;  but  I  think  it  will  be  his  policy  to 
live  amicably  with  all  nations,  though  lie  may  not  be  as 
conciliatory  as  his  father.  There  is  110  intrigue  about 
him;  but  he  is  proud,  arrogant,  and  self-willed  — 
though  I  do  not  think  he  will  get  into  war.  I  think 
Bismarck  will  keep  him  from  it. 

"  It  does  not  look  like  war.  He  will  be  excited 
against  the  Russians,  but  I  do  not  think  it  will  produce 
war.  There  will  be  a  great  deal  of  agitation  and  dis- 
satisfaction among  the  nations.  They  hardly  know 
what  they  want.  They  are  overflowing  with  bile,  but 
not  going  into  war.  He  will  endeavor  to  keep  up  his 
dignity,  and  give  his  people  a  good  ruler.  I  think  he 
will  in  time  favor  education.  I  do  not  think  he  will  be 
oppressive,  for  that  would  be  bad  policy.  The  general 
character  of  the  government  will  not  be  changed.  He 
may  concede  some  things  to  the  people,  and  respect  the 
old  Emperor's  policy.  I  think  he  will  keep  on  good 
terms  with  Bismarck,  and  his  reign  will  be  conciliatory. 
[Yet  war  is  apprehended  to-day.]  I  do  not  believe  it." 

"  [But  the  despatch  from  Berlin  published  to-day 
says:  'They  all  predict  war  —  the  Standard  asserting 
that  the  last  barrier  of  peace  was  swept  away  by  Fred- 
erick's death.  Here,  in  Berlin,  the  talk  is  war.  Every 
officer  in  the  army  is  eager  for  it.  In  Paris,  people 
worship  a  demagogue,  because  he  is  believed  to  awe  the 
Germans.  In  Berlin,  the  talk  is  war,  first,  last  and 
forever.'  What  do  you  say  ?"] 

"I  don't  see  any  war.  Preparations  and  menacing 
talk  will  not  amount  to  war.  His  wife  is  humane  ;  but 
is  not  so  much  of  a  politician  as  his  mother.  He  has  a 
stubborn  will,  but  would  be  influenced  by  able  advi- 
sers." 

The  existence  of  those  wonderful  faculties  which,  in- 
dependent of  the  external  senses,  recognize  visible  objects 
and  events  in  the  present  and  extend  our  recognition 
into  the  past  and  future,  is  additionally  illustrated  by . 


Appendix.  119 

examples  in  which  the  vision  is  suppressed,  not  by  a 
bandage  but  by  blindness.  The  most  remarkable  ex- 
ample of  this  is  Henry  Heudrickson,  the  blind  Norwe- 
gian. He  lost  his  eyesight  when  six  months  old,  but  finds 
a  substitute  for  eyes  in  the  sixth  sense,  which  is  some- 
times called  second  sight  and  clairvoyance.  The  Chi- 
cago Herald  gave  the  following  account  of  Mr.  Hen- 
dricksou .  — 

" '  Here  is  a  man  who  is  totally  blind,  but  who  never- 
theless can  see,'  said  A.  S.  White  in  introducing  Henry 
Hendrickson  to  a  visitor  yesterday.  And  so  it  ap- 
peared. Mr.  Hendrickson  can  see,  or  rather  discern 
objects,  although  he  was  deprived  of  the  sense  of  sight 
when  he  was  six  months  old.  He  was  born  in  Norway 
forty-three  years  ago,  and  has  lived  in  America  forty 
years.  He  was  educated  at  the  institution  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  blind  at  Janesville,  Wis.,  and  has,  since 
leaving  that  institution,  followed  various  industries, 
notably  that  of  broommaking,  and  is  the  author  of  a 
book  entitled,  '  Out  from  the  Darkness.'  This  work 
is  somewhat  in  explanation  of  the  second  sight  with 
which  he  is  becoming  endowed,  although  he  finds  him- 
self unable  to  account  for  it  in  any  manner  satisfactory 
to  himself  or  conformable  to  physical  science. 

"  He  is  well  educated,  a  somewhat  brilliant  conversa- 
tionalist, and,  with  glasses  which  hide  his  completely 
closed  eyes,  one  would  scarcely  recognize  him  as  a 
blind  man.  For  the  last  twenty  years  he  has  seldom 
used  an  escort,  except  when  in  great  haste  and  when 
going  on  territory  entirely  strange  to  him.  It  must  be 
remembered  that  lie  is  totally  blind,  and  has  never 
seen  the  light  since  he  was  six  months  old.  Neverthe- 
less, he  can  tell  when  he  comes  to  a  sudden  rise  in  the 
sidewalk  as  well  as  one  who  enjoys  complete  sight ; 
can  turn  a  street  corner,  tell  when  he  is  passing  an 
alley,  closely  approximate  the  height  of  the  buildings 
along  the  streets  with  accuracy  and  apparent  ease,  but 
he  cannot  tell  when  he  comes  to  a  sudden  depression  in 


1 20  Appendix. 

the  sidewalk.  For  this  he  is  unable  to  account.  Many 
people,  who  have  observed  the  facility  with  which  he 
moves  from  place  to  place,  doubt  that  he  is  totally 
blind,  but  he  has  been  put  under  the  severest  tests,  and 
those  who  have  made  the  investigations  are  convinced 
that  he  cannot  see. 

"  Yesterday  the  Herald  reporter  spent  some  time  with 
him  at  Mr.  White's  office  ai;  No.  102  Washington  street, 
and  made  a  test  of  the  blind  man's  wonderful  second 
sight. 

"  'When  in  a  train  at  full  speed,'  he  said,  4I  can  dis- 
tinguish and  count  the  telegraph  poles  easily,  and 
often  do  it  as  a  pastime  or  to  determine  our  speed.  Of 
course  I  do  not  see  them,  but  I  perceive  them.  It  is 
perception.  Of  course  my  perceptive  faculties  are  not 
in  the  least  impaired  on  account  of  my  blindness.  I 
am  not  able  to  explain  it,  but  I  am  never  in  total  dark- 
ness. It  is  the  same  at  midnight  as  at  midday.  There 
is  always  a  bright  glow  of  light  surrounding  me. 
Once,  on  being  stung  by  a  bee,  I  became  for  the  mom- 
ent stunned,  and  consequently  blind,  or,  I  should  say, 
in  total  darkness.  That  is,  I  could  not  perceive  or 
discern  anything.' 

"A  practical  test  of  this  unaccountable  second  sight 
was  made  in  the  presence  of  the  visitor.  A  thick, 
heavy  cloth  was  thrown  over  his  head  as  he  sat  in  his 
chair.  This  hung  down  on  all  sides  to  his  waist.  It 
was  impossible  for  any  one  to  see  through  it.  Then 
before  him  or  behind  him,  it  mattered  not,  an  ordinary 
walking  cane  was  held  up  in  various  positions.  To 
such  questions  as:  4Is  it  perpendicular  or  horizontal  ° 
or  'In  what  position  am  I  holding  it?'  he  gave  prompt 
and  correct  answers  without  a  single  mistake,  some- 
times describing  acute  or  oblique  angles.  The  test  ap- 
peared so  unaccountable  that  Mr.  Hendrickson  hastened 
to  assure  the  guest  that  there  was  nothing  supernatural 
about  it.  '  It  is  wholly  a  matter  of  the  perceptive 
powers,'  said  the  blind  man,  4but  I  cannot  explain  it 


Appendix.  121 

further  than  that.  Now  this  covering  is  simply  a  for- 
mality ;  it  is  nonsense.  I  have  never  by  the  ordinary 
sense  of  sight  seen  any  object  in  my  life,  not  the  faint- 
est glimmer  of  one.  My  sight  or  discernment  does 
not  come  in  that  way.  This  will  prove  the  idea  to  you  : 
Take  me  into  a  strange  room,  one  that  I  have  never 
been  into  and  never  heard  about,  and  no  matter  how 
dark  it  is  I  can  tell  you  the  dimensions  of  the  room 
very  closely.  I  do  not  feel  the  walls;  I  will  touch 
nothing;  I  see  nothing;  but  there  is  communicated  to 
me  by  some  strange  law  of  perception  the  size  and 
configuration  of  the  room. 

" 4  In  1871,'  he  continued,  '  I  went  to  New  York  city 
and  called  upon  Brick  Pomeroy  at  his  office  on  Union 
square.  There  were  a  number  of  persons  there  and  we 
had  a  pleasant  chat.  I  had  no  escort.  Mr.  Pomeroy 
asked  me  to  his  house  and  inquired  if  I  thought  I  could 
find  my  way.  I  said  I  could,  from  the  description  he 
gave  me,  but  his  visitors  laughed.  Then  a  wager  was 
put  up  and  I  started  out  on  foot ;  the  others  followed, 
some  in  carriages  and  some  on  foot.  I  walked  straight 
to  his  house  on  Forty-first  street,  a  long  distance  with 
several  turns,  and  did  not  make  a  miss.  In  fact  I  knew 
the  house  when  I  came  to  it.  I  did  not  see  it,  and  yet 
I  did.  I  won  the  wager.  I  am  studying  shorthand 
with  Mr.  White,  and  as  my  hearing  is  very  good  I  ex- 
pect to  become  an  expert.  I  had  a  little  trouble  with 
my  writing  at  first  but  am  now  able  to  write  very 
well.' 

"  '  Why,  do  you  know,'  interjected  Mr.  White,  '  that 
when  I  stand  up  here  in  this  room  and  with  my  pro- 
jected forefinger  make  motions  like  one  beating  the 
time  for  a  church  choir,  but  describing  phonetic  char- 
acters, he  can  tell  the  characters  I  am  making  or  de- 
scribing without  seeing  them,  and  can  interpret  them.' 

" '  Let  us  have  'a  test  on  that  line,'  requested  the 
visitor. 

" '  With  pleasure,'  responded  Mr.  Hendrickson  with  a 


1 22  Appendix. 

smile.  The  guest  further  requested  that  while  he  did 
not  doubt  Mr.  Hendricksori's  total  blindness,  he  wished 
to  have  him  blindfolded  for  this  test. 

" '  Certainly,'  said  the  blind  man,  and  the  robe  was 
again  brought  into  use.  Then  Mr.  White  stood  up 
and  cut  the  air  rapidly,  making  certain  phonetic  char- 
acters. 

" 4  Well,  you  have  asked  me  this,'  said  Mr.  Hendrick- 
son,  lifting  the  robe  to  get  a  breath  of  air.  '  "  Can  you 
see  what  I  am  saying?"  I  answer  no  and  yes  both.  I 
don't  see,  but  I  know.' 

"  At  this  juncture  the  visitor  bethought  how  the  two 
might  have  put  up  a  job  or  a  joke  upon  him,  and  he 
suggested  that  he  be  allowed  to  write  certain  words 
upon  a  slip  of  paper,  that  Mr.  White  should  repeat 
them  phonetically  by  his  forefinger,  as  before,  and  if 
then  Mr.  Hendrickson  could  tell  what  they  were,  blind- 
folded as  a  mere  matter  of  precaution,  the  proof  would 
be  conclusive. 

" '  Let  us  have  that  test  most  certainly  and  with  plea- 
sure,' answered  the  blind  man.  The  visitor  wrote  down 
the  following  upon  a  leaf  from  his  notebook  and  passed 
it  over  to  Mr.  White  :  — 

"  '  What  are  your  politics  ? ' 

"  Mr.  White  struck  off  the  question  by  aerial  slants 
and  curves  and  hooks.  He  had  scarcely  finished  when 
Mr.  H.  slapped  his  hands  with  a  laugh  and  responded : 

"'Republican,  of  course.' 

"  4  By  the  way,'  added  Mr.  Hendrickson,  '  I'm  a  very 
good  skater,  and  can  when  gliding  over  the  ice  swiftly 
see  every  particle  on  the  ice,  every  crack  and  rough 
spot,  no  matter  how  small  or  indistinct.  The  faster  I 
go  the  plainer  I  can  see.  Well,  I  don't  mean  that  I 
can  see,  but  I  perceive,  or  something.  It  is  light  to  me 
and  I  discern  everything.' ' 

Is  it  not  remarkable  that  the  philosophers  and  physi- 
ologists of  to-day  utterly  fail  to  recognize  or  attempt 
to  explain  such  facts  as  these.  The  new  Anthropology 


Appendix.  123 

which  I  have  derived  from  experiments  on  the  brain 
explains  them  by  showing  that  clairvoyance  and 
psycho  me  try  belong  to  the  interior  region  of  the  front 
lobe  of  the  brain,  where  the  hemispheres  lie  close 
together,  and  whenever  this  region  receives  an  unusual 
excitement,  or  is  unusually  developed,  clairvoyance 
exists.  The  possible  perfection  of  the  faculty  in  the 
blind  was  shown  in  the  comments  on  pictures  by  a 
blind  man  of  Detroit  named  Coyl.  The  Detroit  Tri- 
bune says :  — 

"Detroit  boasts  of  a  blind  art  connoisseur  named 
Coyl,  who  is  also  a  good  patron  of  art.  Whenever  and 
wherever  there  are  good  paintings  to  be  seen  he  can 
always  be  found.  Meeting  him  at  one  of  the  galleries 
a  few  days  ago,  a  Tribune  reporter  found  him  seated  in 
front  of  a  small  Hart,  which  had  just  been  received,  and 
at  which  he  was  looking  intently,  seeming  to  enjoy  it 
with  the  rest  of  the  company. 

"  '  Here's  a  new  Hart,'  said  he,  as  the  reporter  ad- 
vanced to  shake  hands.  'Good,  isn't  it?  He  paints 
stronger  than  he  did.  Don't  you  think  so?' 

"  The  reporter  wonderingly  assented. 

"  4  The  distance  here  is  good,'  he  continued,  4  and  the 
water  particularly  so.  The  picture  is  small  but  treated 
with  feeling.  Hart's  pictures  are  all  alike  —  two  cows, 
a  red  one  or  a  white  or  two  of  a  color,  a  bit  of  water 
and  foliage.' 

" '  Yes,'  said  a  lady  of  the  party.  4  We  call  his 
white  cows  "  Sunday  "  cows  and  the  red  ones  everyday 
cows.' 

" '  Well,'  said  Mr.  Coyl  with  considerable  pleasantry, 
'  these  are  not  his  Sunday  cows  evidently.' 

"Neither  were  they,  for  they  were  bright  red.  But 
how  in  the  world  could  a  blind  man  tell  a  brindle  cow 
from  a  white  one?  Is  there  a  sixth  sense  ?" 

In  the  daily  application  of  Psycho  me  try  my  confi- 
dence in  its  value  is  growing,  and  I  enjoy  its  application 
to  everything  concerning  which  knowledge  is  needed. 


1 24  Appendix. 

Out  of  my  numerous  reports  on  character  I  would  se- 
lect a  few  which  have  not  been  published,  and  may 
interest  the  reader  as  this  chapter  is  concluded. 

PSYC HOMETRIC  DESC II I PTI ON  S . 

DR.  J.  G.  SPTJRZHETM  (from  his  manuscript). — "This 
has  been  written  sixty  or  seventy  years  ago,  written  by 
a  person  of  very  broad,  elevated  mind,  progressive,  a 
teacher  or  writer,  perhaps  both.  He  had  a  great  deal 
of  will  power,  strong  and  decisive,  very  independent, 
not  afraid  to  give  his  views,  but  had  a  great  deal  of 
opposition  to  his  sentiments.  He  was  of  a  scientific 
cast  of  mind,  was  acquainted  with  medical  science,  and 
was  more  interested  in  the  brain  than  anything  else. 
He  would  talk,  lecture,  and  write  about  the  brain,  and 
had  very  correct  views,  in  advance  of  others.  He  is  in 
spirit  life  now.  There  is  a  warmth  and  nearness  in  the 
impression,  as  though  he  would  be  attracted  to  the 
science  you  are  engaged  in.  His  mind  broadens  out 
into  different  lines  of  thought  in  spirit  life,  things  ap- 
pertaining to  what  he  was  interested  in  here,  and  kin- 
dred subjects.  He  thinks  you  are  developing  in  the 
right  direction.  I  think  he  has  communicated  with  you. 
I  think  he  has  an  overshadowing  approval  of  your  work. 
He  feels  that  you  are  in  an  original  line  of  thought  not 
dominated  by  any  other  minds.  There  seems  an  over- 
shadowing influence  that  stimulates  you." 

[What  views  does  he  have  of  the  process  of  creation 
and  development  of  life  on  the  globe  ?  ]  "  His  views 
are  such  as  have  been  expressed  by  the  believers  in  ev- 
olution from  the  lower  to  the  higher  order  of  creation. 
1  feel  a  pressure  of  intellectual  conceptions,  but  my 
nervous  system  is  not  in  a  state  to  express  it." 

CHARLES  DAKWIN.  —  "I  do  not  know  if  this  person 
is  living  or  not.  It  is  a  man.  There  is  a  great  deal  of 
strength  of  character  reaching  over  a  very  large  terri- 
tory. The  power  of  his  thought,  opinions,  and  teach- 
ings would  extend  very  far  and  have  great  popularity. 


Appendix.  125 

I  think  now  he  is  deceased.  He  seems  a  great  scientist. 
He  had  a  great  scientific  mind;  looked  far  and  deep 
into  things.  He  had  an  indomitable  will,  and  it  carried 
him  through  many  difficulties.  He  was  independent. 
I  should  think  he  would  go  into  geological  and  astronom- 
ical sciences.  He  was  very  thorough  in  his  researches. 
His  disposition  was  such  that  the  difficulties  encount- 
ered did  not  hinder  his  progress. 

"I  think  his  aims  were  not  ambitious  for  his  own 
gratification,  but  he  looked  to  the  future,  when  his  re- 
searches would  enlighten  future  generations.  He  was 
happy  in  his  work,  and  faithful  to  his  labors.  If  he  had 
lived  longer  he  would  have  completed  his  work.  If  he 
had  lived  to  see  the  effect  of  his  researches  it  would  have 
given  him  great  satisfaction.  He  did  not  care  for  dis- 
play or  adulation,  was  of  democratic  bearing,  was  very 
approachable  at  all  times,  was  one  of  the  people,  was 
very  radical  in  his  religious  opinions." 

JULIUS  CAESAR.  —  "  This  is  not  any  one  I  know.  It 
feels  like  a  man  of  genius,  a  self-poised,  original,  pro- 
found man.  He  is  riot  of  this  generation,  but  a  very 
remote  character.  He  is  not  near,  not  of  this  country. 
He  did  not  live  in  the  last  century.  It  seems  a  very 
great  time  since  he  lived.  There  is  a  great  deal  of  re- 
finement in  the  character.  He  had  great  insight  into 
people  and  things,  a  penetrative  mind.  He  does  not 
seem  like  a  military  character,  but  rather  like  a  leader 
and  reformer.  He  seems  a  writer,  a  scientist,  an  author. 
I  will  try  to  get  into  his  ideas. 

"  He  did  great  things,  and  his  career  was  a  wide  one, 
but  I  don't  see  what  he  did.  He  had  peculiarities,  was 
unlike  other  people.  He  was  bold  and  fearless  in  his  senti- 
ments, but  1  do  not  get  any  warlike  tendencies.  He  is 
not  now  what  he  was  in  earth  life,  but  looks  upon  things 
from  a  different  standpoint  altogether.  I  think  he  lived 
in  troubled  times,  when  the  world  was  in  a  state  of  un- 
rest, and  disturbance,  and  was  driven  to  do  things  not 
really  in  his  character  by  controlling  circumstances. 


1 26  Appendix. 

It  seems  to  me  he  was  self-made,  struggling,  toiling  and 
poor  in  early  life,  not  having  all  the  advantages  to 
keep  him  out  of  trouble.  I  think  he  was  thoroughly  a 
grand  character,  a  very  great  man.  Oh  what  an  intel- 
lect he  had.  He  made  laws,  had  great  political  power. 
It  would  take  a  long  time  to  tell  his  career.  He  had  a 
great  deal  of  antagonism  :  there  were  some  religious  in- 
fluences in  it,  opposing  forces  in  his  contests." 

[What  were  his  surroundings?]  uHe  had  a  great 
deal  of  encouragement  from  powerful  friends.  He  was 
a  reformer,  imparting  instruction.  He  had  to  do 
with  uneducated,  ignorant  people,  a  primitive  bar- 
barian people,  and  attempted  to  civilize  them,  and  had 
a  great  deal  of  hostility.  People  had  to  be  subjugated. 
He  planned  the  movements,  and  commanded,  and  made 
a  great  success.  There  was  not  as  much  discipline' 
then  as  now.  His  enemies  were  more  numerous  than 
his  own  soldiers.  The  methods  of  war  were  crude  and 
clumsy :  not  such  arms  as  we  have  now.  I  don't  feel 
that  his  heart  was  in  that  work." 

"  His  aims  were  so  high  arid  ambitious  that  he  had 
many  defeats,  though  a  great  success  upon  the  whole. 
In  the  wars  they  had  hand-to-hand  fighting :  there  was 
a  great  deal  of  confusion,  no  well-trained  discipline  and 
tactics.  He  subdued  the  enemies  over  a  large  territory, 
and  crossed  the  water  in  his  campaigns,  though  not  to 
a  great  distance.  He  made  a  permanent  conquest,  and 
had  great  glory  and  triumph,  then  settled  down  to  polit- 
ical life,  and  held  high  office.  They  did  everything  to 
show  gratitude  and  made  him  a  great  ruler.  He  was 
a  humane  ruler  over  the  people,  but  there  seems  to 
have  been  something  unnatural  about  his  taking  off. 
He  was  not  old,  but  in  full  vigor,  when  his  career  came 
to  an  end  by  enemies  who  had  some  object  in  putting 
him  out  of  the  way.  I  feel  great  sadness  about  it." 

[What  was  the  character  of  the  people  at  that  time  ?  ] 
"  They  were  not  strict  in  morals,  but  allowed  great  lati- 
tude. Society  was  as  corrupt  as  it  could  be.  They 


Appendix.  127 

lived  in  excitement,  violent  and  tragic,  cared  very  little 
for  human  life,  and  sacrificed  it  for  trifling  reasons. 
Any  one  in  power  could  have  his  commands  carried  out 
without  regard  to  law.  They  had  no  such  law  as  now." 

[What  was  he  as  a  speaker?]  "  He  was  a  very  im- 
pressive, deliberate  speaker,  calm  without  much  ges- 
ture, like  Phillips  and  like  you." 

[What  of  his  life  in  the  spirit  world?]  "He  takes  a 
different  course  now :  is  interested  in  reforming  the 
world,  bringing  people  into  harmony.  He  has  deep  in- 
sight, great  charity,  and  less  ambition.  He  looks  upon 
people  collectively  and  their  mental  emanations.  He 
is  cognizant  of  your  existence  and  work." 

How  clearly  does  Psychometry  bring  to  mortals  the 
living  presence  of  the  departed  millions.  How  thor- 
oughly will  this  enlarge  and  rectify  our  conceptions  of 
Heaven  and  religion,  concerning  which  mankind  have 
not  yet  escaped  from  the  puerile  ideas  inherited  from 
barbarian  ancestors.  In  a  future  work  I  hope  to  show 
the  Pneumatology  and  Religion  to  which  we  are  intro- 
duced by  Psychometry. 

DIOGENES,  the  Cynical  Philosopher  of  Greece. — "  I  think 
this  is  an  ancient.  There  is  something  quaint  about 
him.  He  does  not  seem  to  follow  anything  or  anybody. 
He  lived  a  natural  life,  indifferent  to  current  teachings. 
He  had  peculiar,  original  ideas  of  his  own  as  to  life  and 
its  purposes.  He  seems  a  man  of  philanthropic  nature, 
not  ascetic,  very  indifferent  as  to  personal  appearance 
and  habits,  or  as  to  pleasing  people,  not  fastidious.  He 
did  not  mind  people's  opinions  in  the  least,  they  never 
disturbed  him.  He  had  enough  combativeness  to  fight 
his  way  through  difficulties." 

[Could  he  command  men  ?  ]  "  Yes  ;  he  had  a  peculiar 
power.  His  way  of  gaining  confidence  arid  esteem  was 
peculiar  to  himself.  He  did  not  show  off  at  all,  and 
was  not  condescending.  He  did  not  mind  obstacles,  had 
great  self-reliance.  If  he  had  to  take  part  in  disturb- 
ances he  was  ready,  and  had  tact  and  tactics.  He  had 


128  Appendix. 

a  great  deal  of  sagacity.     He  regarded  as  trifles  things 
that  people  considered  momentous.'* 

[What  were  his  surroundings  ?  ]  "  He  was  probably 
a  Greek,  but  he  did  not  accord  with  anything  of  his 
time.  He  lived  in  the  future  and  anticipated  great 
changes.  He  did  not  agree  with  any  contemporary 
fashions  in  religion  and  politics,  fashion  and  manners, 
but  was  very  sarcastic  upon  them.  He  was  a  philoso- 
pher devoted  to  the  useful,  and  cared  nothing  for  the 
ornamental,  either  in  architecture,  fashions,  or  anything. 
He  might  not  make  war  on  the  religion,  was  not  ran- 
corous or  rebellious,  but  he  had  different  ideas  in  him- 
self and  was  candid.  He  does  not  give  much  attention 
to  modern  times,  but  if  he  were  here  he  would  enjoy 
modern  improvements  and  benevolence,  but  would  de- 
nounce our  fashions  and  our  bigotry,  and  teach  a  prim- 
itive style  of  living." 

These  characteristics  were  well  illustrated  in  his  life. 
He  came  to  Athens  when  young  and  applied  to  Antisthe- 
nes  to  be  received  as  a  pupil.  Antisthenes  was  a  Cynical 
philosopher  and  moralist,  whose  peculiarities  were  sim- 
ilar to  those  shown  by  Diogenes.  Diogenes  was  refused 
and  driven  off  with  blows,  but  persevered  until  he  was 
received.  He  wore  the  coarsest  clothes  and  used  the 
plainest  food,  defied  the  heats  of  summer  and  snows  of 
winter,  and  made  his  bed  on  the  bare  ground  in  the 
street  or  under  the  porticoes,  but  still  preserved  the  re- 
spect of  Athenians.  He  was  far  more  critical  than 
Socrates  or  even  Antisthenes.  He  was  thoroughly  de- 
voted to  practical  utility,  and  showed  great  contempt  for 
the  fine  arts  and  literature.  He  sneered  at  the  men  of 
letters,  the  musicians,  savants,  and  orators  for  their  fol- 
lies. Having  been  captured  by  pirates  on  a  voyage, 
taken  to  Crete  and  sold  as  a  slave,  he  was  asked  what 
business  he  was  proficient  in,  and  replied  "to  command 
men."  He  was  purchased  as  a  slave  by  Xeniades,  but 
his  force  of  character  made  him  the  master.  He  became 
a  freeman  and  was  made  a  tutor.  That  scene  with 
Alexander  when  he  asked  him  to  stand  out  of  his  sun- 


Appendix.  1 29 

light  and  the  monarch  was  so  impressed  by  his  force  of 
character,  shows  him  to  have  been  a  remarkable  man. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  AN  ANIMAL'S  SKULL.  —  "  This  does 
not  seem  like  a  carnivorous  animal.  I  think  its  traits 
of  character  are  mild.  It  does  not  seem  ferocious  or 
repulsive.  It  could  be  domesticated  easily.  It  is  a 
very  strong  animal.  It  can  move  with  speed.  It  seems 
to  have  great  endurance.  It  is  not  lazy.  It  has  great 
strength  for  draft,  has  strong  shoulders.  It  is  intelli- 
gent. If  aroused  it  would  show  great  stiength  and  de- 
termination, hanging  on  until  it  killed  its  opponent,  but 
is  not  naturally  vicious.  It  has  fine  instincts,  strong 
friendships,  is  very  adhesive  to  its  friends." 

[What  does  it  resemble  ? ]  "It  might  be  compared  to 
a  dog  of  large  breed.  It  is  an  animal  of  great  power.3' 

[What  would  it  be  disposed  to  eat?]  "  I  should  think 
it  would  eat  herbs  and  grain.  It  might  eat  corn.  It 
would  not  be  confined  to  herbivorous  diet,  but  has  some 
carnivorous  appetites.  It  is  not  confined  to  one  sort  of 
diet.  In  its  wild  state  it  might  attack  human  beings.  It 
might  eat  small  animals  or  insects  and  many  things 
that  grow  in  the  forest.  It  has  a  nice  discrimination 
to  select  its  food  among  shrubs  and  trees.  Its  natural 
element  is  on  high  grounds  and  in  cold  climates.  It 
would  naturally  seek  a  wild  life  in  the  forest." 

[What  does  it  look  like ?  ]  "It  seems  of  a  brown 
color.  It  looks  much  like  a  large  bear." 

This  was  a  skull  of  a  bear.  The  experiment  is  in- 
troduced to  show  the  application  of  Psychometry  to  the 
study  of  natural  history. 

The  study  of  the  animal  kingdom  guided  by  Psy- 
chometry will  assume  a  new  interest  and  new  character. 
I  hope  to  find  time  hereafter  to  show  by  a  survey  of  the 
animal  kingdom  how  deeply  interesting  and  instruct- 
ive may  be  the  study  of  its  cerebral  development  and 
its  psychic  nature,  which  is  the  rudimental  development 
of  what  is  fully  evolved  in  man,  and  therefore  aids  by 
comparison  the  study  of  humanity. 


Announcements. 

IMPORTANT  WORKS 

Published  by  Prof.  Buchanan. 


THERAPEUTIC  SARCOGNOMY. 

The  American  Homoeopathist  of  December,  1884,  gives  the 
following  editorial  notice  of  this  volume  :  — 

"Of  the  very  highest  importance  in  the  healing  art  is  a 
work  just  issued  by  the  venerable  Professor  Buchanan.  Wo 
have  read  the  book  from  cover  to  cover  with  unabated 
attention,  and  it  is  replete  with  ideas,  suggestions,  practical 
hints,  and  conclusions  of  eminent  value  to  every  practitioner 
who  is  himself  enough  of  a  natural  physician  to  appreciate 
and  apply  them.  The  word  Sarcognomy  was  coined  by 
Prof.  Buchanan,  in  1842,  to  express  in  a  word  the  recogni- 
tion of  the  relations  existing  between  the  body  and  the 
brain.  He  advances  the  idea  that  the  whole  body  is  expres- 
sive ;  that  the  entire  form  is  an  embodiment  of  character ; 
that  each  part  of  the  envolving  surface  not  only  possesses  a 
physiological  characteristic  but  psychological  powers  ;  that 
each  portion  of  this  cutaneous  surface  exercises,  through 
the  nervous  system,  a  direct  action  upon  some  particular 
part  of  the  brain  ;  and  that  these  facts,  now  for  the  first 
time  properly  elucidated,  may  be  advantageously  used  in 
the  treatment  of  disease.  Having  been  cognizant  of  the 
very  valuable  and  original  work  accomplished  by  Professor 
Buchanan  in  physiology,  and  having  seen  him  demonstrate 
many  times  on  persons  of  all  grades  of  intellectual  and  phy- 
sical health  the  truths  he  here  affirms,  the  subject  has  lost 
the  sense  of  novelty  to  us,  and  is  accepted  as  undoubtedly 
proven.  But  to  the  majority  of  physicians  these  views, 
differing  as  they  do  radically  from  text-book  knowledge  and 
college  instruction,  will  seem  at  first  imaginative  and  fanci- 
ful. They  will,  however,  stand  the  test  of  practical  experi- 
ence. They  will  repay  study,  and  will  add  largely  to  the 
successful  performance  of  professional  service.  No  physi- 
cian can  afford  to  ignore  the  help  proffered  by  this  new 
philosophy.  Upon  the  psychic  function  of  the  brain,  Prof. 


Announcements, 

Buchanan  is  the  highest  living  authority.  The  leading  idea 
of  his  philosophy  is  that  life  belongs  to  the  soul,  and  not  to 
the  body.  This  is  antagonistic  to  the  views  of  most  scien- 
tists of  the  day  ;  but  it  nevertheless  deserves  consideration, 
and  will  ultimately  find  acceptance.  We  hope  that  this  work 
may  have  a  wide  sale  among  the  medical  profession,  for 
wherever  it  goes  we  may  expect  as  a  consequent,  improved 
methods  in  the  art  of  healing." 

THERAPEUTIC  SAKCOGNOMY  met  with  an  unexpectedly 
favorable  reception,  and  the  whole  edition  was  sold  out  in 
four  montns,  since  which  Dr.  B.  has  purchased  back  a  few 
copies  to  supply  his  friends. 

The  third  edition  of  Therapeutic  Sarcognomy,  a  large 
imperial  octavo  of  690  pages,  with  novel  engravings,  has 
been  issued  at  five  dollars  a  copy,  and  is  sent  by  mail  from 
the  author,  Los  Angeles,  California,  in  response  to  remit- 
tance by  postal  order  or  registered  letter. 

The  language  of  its  readers  is  full  of  enthusiasm  on 
account  of  so  great  a  revolution  in  science,  and  its  perfect 
applicability  in  practice  ;  and  its  students,  after  attending  a 
recent  course  of  instruction  at  Kansas  City,  expressed  in 
resolutions  that  were  published,  their  reverence  and  love  for 
the  foremost  philosopher  of  this  country.  The  volume  of 
gratitude  expressed  by  the  readers  of  this  volume  is  accom- 
panied by  an  expression  of  surprise  and  regret  for  the  stolid 
slowness  of  mankind  in  becoming  acquainted  with  the  great- 
est truths  that  can  be  presented  by  a  demonstrated  science. 

THERAPEUTIC  SARCOGNOMY  furnishes  the  scientific  guid- 
ance necessary  in  magnetic  and  electric  practice,  to  which  it 
is  as  necessary  as  anatomy  is  to  surgery. 

The  Psycho-Physiological  Chart  of  Therapeutic  Sarcog- 
nomy 21  x  31  inches  is  sold  by  the  author  at  $1.00  and 
sent  by  mail. 

THE  NEW  EDUCATION. 

Two  editions  of  this  work  have  been  sold.  No  work  on 
the  subject  of  education  has  ever  received  more  enthusiastic 
commendation,  of  which  the  following  expressions  are  an 
illustration  : 

Rev.  B.  F.  Barrett,  one  of  the  most  eminent  writers  of  his  church,  says  : 

"  We  are  perfectly  charmed  with  your  book.  1  regard  it  as  by  far  the 
most  valuable  work  on  education  ever  published.  You  have  herein  for- 
mulated the  very  wisdom  of  heaven  on  the  highest  and  most  momentous 
of  all  themes.  Your  work  is  destined,  in  my  judgment,  to  inaugurate  a 
new  era  in  popular  education.  It  contains  more  and  higher  wisdom  on 
the  subject  of  which  it  treats  than  all  the  other  books  ever  written  on 
education." 

"  A  fifth  edition  (improved)  will  be  prepared  in  1893." 


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